Fading Fast
by Miss Light Bright
Summary: An accident when Kaoru was six changed his entire life... for the worst. Ghosts haunt him but not for his help and not just to annoy him, but because they want him back. Kaoru should have been dead a long time ago and now his time is running out. Oh? And Hikaru? He doesn't know; he doesn't need to. Kaoru will fight this on his own... right? No slash, no lemon/Just brotherly love
1. Chapter 1

**PROLOGUE**

It was a perfectly normal day, Yuzuha had thought, when she brought her two little red-headed boys to the park. They were twins, just turned six, and they were full of life, full of questions, and full of light in their eyes. She let go of their tiny hands, smiling fondly, as they ran before her, farther up the concrete path, to the little park they visited every day. These were the days when Yuzuha had been a stay-at-home mom, before her fashion career.

"I get my favorite swing!" Kaoru called to Hikaru, running ahead with a grin on his face.

"Of course you do, dummy!" Hikaru yelled after him. "We always get our favorite swings!" They ran into the woodchips and little pieces of wood splayed out behind their every step.

"Slow down!" Yuzuha warned, cupping her mouth with one hand. They didn't listen and kept on running. She smiled at her boys before turning away and meandered over to her usual bench on the edge of the park. Sitting gingerly onto the seat, warm from the midday summer sun, she threw her heavy bag down beside her and leaned back. Her bag was her boys' lives, really. Inside that giant tote were all of the toys they wanted to bring to the park that day. It was usually not the same combination twice.

She pulled her lone magazine and started flipping through it, trying to find the spot she left off the day before. A soft breeze pulled the pages from her fingers and she sighed, starting again. Suddenly, her boys appeared at her side, looking at her expectantly.

"Can we play ball?" Hikaru asked, leaning his arms on her lap, and looked at her with those sweet, innocent eyes.

"Of course," she said, setting the magazine aside again and opening the tote bag. She dug between the piles of toys to the blue ball in the middle. "Here you go, loves," she said affectionately, ruffling Hikaru's hair as he took the ball. And they ran off again towards the playground.

Yuzuha went back to reading her magazine, getting lost in a scandal between a few of her favorite celebrities. And that's when it happened.

A loud horn from a car on the nearby street caused Yuzuha to merely glance up from her reading. But a familiar small shriek of a certain twin made her leap to her feet, dropping everything from her lap. Her eyes scanned the park in a panic and then she spotted them, just as the car swerved to try to avoid her baby, her precious baby!

She screamed in complete utter terror in unison with Hikaru who was standing at the curb, as Kaoru, in the middle of the street, picked up that stupid blue ball. Kaoru grasped it in his little hands and turned around in surprise as Yuzuha screamed, "KAORU!"

And that's when he was hit and Yuzuha flinched. She ran out to the street, scooping up a wailing Hikaru, and running into the street. A crowd of people ran about her to help as she screamed and cried and screamed. Her little boy. There was so much blood and he was so lifeless…

And that's how Kaoru died.

Well, for a whole minute.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hopefully this chapter makes sense... I had a hard time deciding how to start the rest of the story.**

* * *

Kaoru stuffed his clothes into his bag without caring which way they fell into the bag. He just wanted everything packed and ready. It had already taken him two weeks of procrastination before this point to actually motivate him to get his possessions together. And now it was only a matter a time until he could leave this hell hole.

"So you left everything until now, didn't you Kaoru?"

Kaoru turned and grinned, seeing his father standing near the closed door with crossed arms and a grin. "Hey Dad," Kaoru said happily; a warmth spread through his chest.

"It's been a while since we last saw each other."

Kaoru looked down away and grabbed at his picture frame that held an old photograph of their little family. "Yeah, it has, hasn't it?" Kaoru mumbled, throwing it face-down into the suitcase.

Dad came closer to stand just out of Kaoru's reach, near the end of the bed. "It's okay Kaoru. We'll get you through this."

"_You'll_ get me through this," Kaoru corrected.

He looked away. "Okay son, we'll do it your way."

There was swift knock at the door and Kaoru ran a weary hand over his face, preparing, and then plastered on a smile before approaching the door. He opened it quickly and softly, "Hi guys."

Kaoru was tackled into a huge hug by his 15-year-old twin. "Kaoru!" Hikaru cried, squeezing Kaoru hard when he returned the hug.

They pulled away and Kaoru turned to Mom. "Oh, my baby," she managed to breathe. She gathered him loosely, but tenderly to her chest. He came up to her shoulder now, he noticed as she pressed his head against her collar bone. The last time they saw each other, Kaoru had been a few inches shorter… He squeezed his eyes shut. No, he wasn't going to hold hard feelings. All she'd wanted was for Kaoru to get better.

She released him and stepped back, holding a watery smile. "So the doctor said you are all cured now. Is it true?" she asked quietly.

Kaoru's eyes flickered to his left to Dad who gave him an encouraging smile. "Yeah, I'm completely cured. I can come home now?"

Mom started crying. "Of course you can," she sobbed and wiped at her eyes. "I'm sorry you had to go through all of this, but I just wanted you to be normal."

Kaoru flinched internally. "Thanks Mom," he forced himself to say. He still wasn't normal.

"I've missed you, Kaoru," Hikaru spoke up and draped an arm over Kaoru's shoulders.

Returning the gesture, Kaoru said, "I missed you too brother." And that was the honest truth.

Kaoru had been gone for… two years now in estimation. When he was young—six, if he could remember correctly—he'd almost died, had died, out on the street after being hit by a car. But then, he'd breathed suddenly and lived. Kaoru didn't remember anything from that accident; he just knew that he'd been in bad shape and it was a miracle to survive something like that.

Shortly after that, Kaoru had started seeing people, hearing voices. Mom had at first thought Kaoru just had a lot of imaginary friends, but then it got scary… So she'd gotten him help and medication. Kaoru had been taking anti-psychotics since he was about seven and they worked… until recently when he was thirteen. And that's when Mom had thrown him into this mental hospital/therapy center to help him get past his hallucinations.

But they weren't hallucinations, Kaoru knew that now. Kaoru hadn't taken his medication since the first day he was brought to this place… but so far, the consequences weren't so bad.

Kaoru stared at his identical brother; even after all this time being apart, the two still looked exactly the same and acted in similar ways. Kaoru wondered if Hikaru thought Kaoru crazy or insane.

"Should we go?" Kaoru asked quietly. "I am excited to be back in my old room."

Mom smiled. "Of course, dear, and then you can redecorate it any way you want. Okay?"

Kaoru nodded but didn't reply. He just wanted to be out of this place. Mom nodded back and took a step back to the door and her two sons followed behind her. Kaoru glanced back at Dad and to say goodbye, but he was gone.

A pang of sadness filled Kaoru's chest.

* * *

**Eight Years Ago**

Yuzuha sat at her worktable and stared at her fabric numbly, with tears streaming down her cheeks. She scraped her fingers over her eyes, removing a mess of mascara, eyeliner, and shadow from the corner of her eyes, but it smeared hideously across her skin. She looked awful.

She forced her fingers back to the pins in front of her, forcing her fingers to work at binding the fabric together temporarily with the pins so that they were ready to be sown, but she stopped again. Everything was too painful.

Her husband had only died two weeks ago, and even after the funeral, it was still too fresh. She was without her love now and her boys were without a father. But she kept on living, at least for her boys.

Suddenly she heard the soft pitter patter of light feet running down the hallway. She stopped what she was doing and glanced over her shoulder at the door. It was nine at night and her boys were in bed, she was sure of it. There was no light in the hallway—there shouldn't be—she was the only one awake.

She stood slowly, allowing the chair to scrape across the hardwood floor, and then made her way into the hallway. A tiny laugh echoed down to her, making her frown. So one of the boys was up? She stepped quietly down towards the living room where she first heard the noise and stopped.

The door was partially open and from inside she could hear the voice of seven-year-old Kaoru saying something quietly. She placed a hand on the door and pushed it open slowly.

"What, Daddy?"

Yuzuha froze, her breath catching, and she stared at her child. Kaoru was sitting on the couch in his jammies, staring at a space near the wall where there was nothing, nothing at all. She knew Kaoru had had a few too many imaginary friends recently but…

"Mommy's here?" Kaoru suddenly asked. Then his head swung in her direction. His face was shadowed when he smiled. "Hi Mommy. Daddy says hi. He says not too miss him. He's okay."

"Stop it Kaoru, stop it right now!" Yuzuha snapped, her whole being shaking with grief. "Daddy is gone, he's not there."

"But he's standing right there!" Kaoru cried, pointing at the blank wall.

"No! You can't make an imaginary friend out of Daddy. That's bad!" She stomped forward and scooped her stunned child into her arms. "We're going back to bed."

As soon as she reached her sons' room, she tucked Kaoru into bed and kissed his forehead but Kaoru never said a word. Instead, he just stared at a spot somewhere behind her. And when she closed the door, through the crack, she heard, "Love you too Daddy." And that's when she knew she had to get her son help.

* * *

**So how did you like it? I'm really nervous for this chapter...**


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry about any errors in my writing in this chapter. I do not have time right now to edit it. But I WILL edit it later tonight, so it won't completely suck. Thanks for reading!**

* * *

Hikaru followed his younger brother as he walked stiffly in front of him towards their house. It was a large house, recently renovated and redecorated because of Mom's new promotion; she's been working on her fashion designs since Dad died, but now it was finally picking up, giving them extra cash to finally pay off their mortgage on the house they'd upgraded to six years ago. It wasn't anything fancy, just a little more middle class than the Rambler home they had before.

Kaoru's face was straight and emotionless as he trudged along, carrying his single duffel; Hikaru didn't even think Kaoru noticed the new color of the house—white, by the way—or the fresh landscaping they had done this spring. Well, not that it mattered anyway, but Hikaru just wanted a reaction out of Kaoru. Ever since they've picked the kid up he's been pretty lifeless.

"You're going to school tomorrow aren't you?" Hikaru hedged, watching Kaoru carefully. He kept expecting him to explode, to yell at things that weren't there, just like those days two years ago.

Kaoru looked at him distractedly. "Wha-? What did you say?"

"School? Are you going?"

Kaoru nodded and offered a solemn smile. "Yeah, I want to get back to everything."

Smiling back, Hikaru bumped shoulders with his twin. "Great to have you back."

They reached the door and went inside. Kaoru didn't even look around but instead dropped his bag at the door and turned to look at him and their mother who was standing anxiously by the spiral stairs. "So what now?" Kaoru asked.

Hikaru exchanged a faltering glance with Mom. It wasn't supposed to be this weird, not with their brother, their family. "How about some cookies?"

"Sounds good," Kaoru said with one of those small smiles again.

They all made their way quietly and wearily into the kitchen; the silence was killer. Inside the wide and well-polished kitchen, the boys went and sat instinctively at the counter side by side. Hikaru smiled at Kaoru as he pulled himself up into the tall café chairs. Kaoru returned the smile, glanced around the room, and then his eyes settled on his mother who was opening a plastic container of the cookies. "Where is Erina?" Kaoru asked casually, mentioning their housekeeper.

Mom scooped the Macadamia cookies out onto a plate and touched her face with a frown on her face, pushing the strands of brown hair from her face. "Uh, I had to let her go," she said simply in a quiet voice.

Kaoru was seething and Hikaru could practically feel the tension crashing through the room. Erina was their housekeeper of three years; Kaoru had loved her, but Mom had gotten rid of the woman shortly after Kaoru's absence. Hikaru wasn't sure why. But as Hikaru watched, Kaoru cleared his face and swallowed hard, returning to a smile. "You have my favorite," Kaoru said happily, gesturing to the plates on the counter.

"Our favorite," Hikaru corrected. They both liked practically all the same things.

Mom started pouring three glasses of milk and sighed deeply. "Everything will get better from here," she changed the subject. "I know things are awkward for us now, but things will fall into place just as they were before." She paused in her pouring to make eye contact with Hikaru and then Kaoru. A silent agreement passed over them to make things the best they could. "Things will be normal now. Kaoru's normal now."

A cold silence descended upon them, making them all freeze. Mom's eyes were wide, staring at the milk cartoon. Hikaru's heart was racing and he glanced at Kaoru and saw complete shock in his brother's eyes… and the hurt; the way Kaoru's eyes flinched just slightly was horrific.

Mom turned to Kaoru in a flash, completely wide-eyed. "Kaoru-I-You were- I didn't mean," she stuttered, stepping towards him with her hand stretching hesitantly out before her.

"Well sorry I was such an inconvenience to you," Kaoru said shortly almost under his breath. He stood abruptly and marched of the room, leaving a trail of anger behind him.

Hikaru stared open-mouthed after his brother and then glanced at his mother. "Oh no," she whimpered, dropping her head into arms upon the counter.

Mom was never like this, not since Dad died and not since she sent Kaoru away; she was really torn up. Hikaru stood as well. "I'm going to go talk to him."

She didn't reply as he disappeared into the hallway and up the spiral stairs. The walk wasn't long to Kaoru's room at the end of the hall, but it still felt surreal. Kaoru's room hadn't been in use in so long… He reached for the knob but stopped; he figured the door would be locked. So he knocked instead. "Kaoru? Are you okay?"

He heard a harshly dispelled exhale through the door. "Just fine," was Kaoru's flat reply.

"Will you let me in?"

"I didn't lock it."

Hikaru looked down in surprise and opened it tentatively. The door creaked from disuse and the room smelt musty. Kaoru was lying on the bed in the middle, surrounded by the hauntings of his past. Hikaru wondered if Kaoru even liked the bands that hung on his wall or the DVDs stacked on his dresser anymore. On his stomach and staring at the wall, Kaoru laid unmoving. "What do you want Hikaru?"

"You know that Mom didn't mean it like that, right?"

Blowing out another deep breath, Kaoru closed his eyes. "Yeah, I know. It just didn't sound right."

"She just wanted you to be okay," Hikaru explained, stepping closer to the bed and dropped into the red lounge chair in the corner of the room.

Kaoru glanced at Hikaru sharply and then somewhere to Hikaru's immediately left. Kaoru nodded and looked back at Hikaru. "Yeah, I know. I just need to get over everything… but you know how it can be. It stings a little when she says something like that, you know?"

"Yeah, but everything will be okay. I promise."

"And if it isn't, I'll _make _it okay," Kaoru interjected.

"Yeah," Hikaru said slowly. Something about Kaoru's tone brought a chill down his spine. "Yeah, okay," he repeated noncommittally.

"Can I have a minute alone?" his brother asked suddenly.

"Sure," Hikaru agreed, standing quickly. "Okay." He left the room, feeling uneasy.


	4. Chapter 4

When Hikaru left the room, Kaoru continued to lie there on the bed, staring at the wall. "You didn't have to distract me," Kaoru said, muffled by the blankets. He shifted his eyes to the spot by the chair.

But his dead father was now sitting in the spot Hikaru had just vacated with his legs crossed, staring at Kaoru inquisitively. "Well, you were making things worse."

Kaoru huffed in indignation and scrunched his fingers into the familiar sheets. "You are so lucky I didn't freak out when you just showed up next to him. It took me by surprise."

"It never took you by surprise before…" Dad trailed off.

"You were gone. For three months. You start to get used to the silence," Kaoru said slowly.

His father stood from the seat. "I had important things to attend to."

"What could a dead man possibly do all that time?"

Dad didn't answer him. He just ground his teeth. "Hikaru, just trust me."

"Kiyoshi," Kaoru sighed, speaking his father's name because he knew it irritated the old man. Kaoru shook his head, deciding to change the subject. "You aren't going to follow me around at school tomorrow are you? I'm old enough to do this by myself now."

"You'll be okay?" he asked, clearly worried.

Kaoru shrugged. "Yeah, I can do it. The less ghosts I see during the day, the better things will be."

"Then I'll stay out of your way, scout's honor."

"Good," Kaoru said in relief, and he allowed himself to drop tiredly back into the soft comforter.

Kiyoshi cleared his throat, catching Kaoru's attention again. "Your mother's coming."

"What?" Kaoru asked, throwing his head back into the air to look at his father but he was gone… again. The coward didn't like being in the same room as the widow. It was something about ghosts being able to sense strong emotions…

Sure enough, there was a soft knock at the door. "Kaoru? It's mom… Hikaru said maybe I should come up to see you."

Kaoru almost snorted. Hikaru was always butting into their arguments; it wasn't surprising anymore. But Kaoru sat up against his headboard and swallowed his lingering anger. "Come in," he called.

The door was edged open and Mom slipped in through the small crack. "Oh baby," she said in complete despair. Kaoru felt his grudging anger completely wash away. She was using that voice; it was the voice that was terrified and he had only heard it three times: When he 'died', when Dad died, and when she had hugged him before Kaoru's rehabilitation.

"Come here, Mom," Kaoru said, standing, and he held his arms out for his mother.

She took the hug in stride, pressing her cheek against his. Her hair smelt of cinnamon and brown sugar, just as always. "Sorry Mom. I know you were worried… but I guess I'm still a bit touchy about it."

"No I should be sorry." Her words, brushed past his orange hair over his right ear. She moved away but was only an arm's length away. "This is my entire fault."

"Mom, what are you talking about?" Kaoru questioned. He tilted his head and peered into her watery eyes.

She shifted and looked away. "If I just watched you at the park, if I was just a better mother-"

"Stop!" Kaoru urged, grabbing her by the shoulders, drawing her attention. "No, this isn't because of you."

"But it's all my fault," she whined. She was on the verge of tears. "I didn't watch your father's blood pressure before his heart attack and I didn't pay attention at the park…"

"It's over now," Kaoru cut in. "I'm cured. You can't change the past, even though it wasn't your fault. Let's focus on now, Mom. I'm still alive. I'm healthy and so are you and Hikaru… Let's just move on."

Her eyes searched his and whatever she saw there made a smile appear on her lips. "Yeah, we should start fresh."

"Yeah," Kaoru agreed, dropping his hands from her shoulders. "Now, why don't you get Hikaru and we can eat those Macadamia cookies?"

She laughed, clapping her hands together. "Okay. You know I made those cookies for you, Kaoru."

"I know," Kaoru replied with a smile. "I'll be down in a bit."

After she'd left the room, Kaoru sat back down on his bed, waiting. Finally his father appeared, standing near the door. "Great acting," Dad said.

"Thanks," Kaoru said, still staring at the door. "I can get through this." He shifted his eyes onto his father.

"You can," he agreed.

* * *

At seven A.M. Kaoru's obnoxious alarm blared out into his dark, shadowy room. He slammed his hand down, silencing the clock, and rose, disgruntled, to his feet. In a fleeting thought, Kaoru recognized that he was probably one of the few that got of bed immediately at his alarm.

His bare toes hit the cold wood floor and he immediately dug his fingers into his pajama pockets. He yawned, stepping into the hall, and walked down the hall in a daze. But then he paused at the bathroom door. The light was already on.

Kaoru pushed lightly at the partially open door and he revealed a bleary-eyed Hikaru, putting toothpaste on his toothbrush. They both froze like that, staring at each other for a second, but then Hikaru continued to squirt the tube with a laugh, "You scared me."

"You did too," Kaoru said with a crooked smile. "I almost forgot we shared a bathroom." He brushed past Hikaru to stand on the left side of the mirror and grabbed his own toothbrush, just as they used to do every day.

"Me too," he mumbled just as he began to brush.

They moved around each other, falling back into their old routine. Hikaru takes his shower first and Kaoru eats breakfast, and then they switch. It was easy to go back to normal, Kaoru realized, eating his Frosted Flakes.

And then it was time to leave. Kaoru grabbed his bag and followed his brother out the door, into the nippy October day. Boy, it was going to be awkward to be the new kid so far into the semester on a Wednesday. But then again, he wasn't exactly new, was he?

They walked to the end of the street to the bus stop. There were two other kids there; one he vaguely remembered from their school and the other he knew to still be in junior high. Hikaru groaned. "I can't till we can get our licenses. I hate the bus."

Kaoru nodded. He couldn't agree more with his brother. "But first we have get our permits."

"Good point," Hikaru replied, giving him a smile.

Kaoru smiled back. Things were going to be fine, he was sure of it. Hikaru certainly did not change. Why did anything else have to change?

Turning at the loud whir of the bus, Kaoru watched the ugly yellow thing slow at the curb and open its annoying sliding door. Kaoru sighed and followed Hikaru unto the bus.

The smell of the harsh plastic hit Kaoru immediately. He blanched, following Hikaru to a seat in the middle and they sat down together, shoulder-to-shoulder. Kaoru breathed deeply, preparing for the day.

* * *

**Note: I made up the Dad's name since there isn't one for him in the manga/anime.**


	5. Chapter 5

Ouran wasn't a large town; it was suburbia, a growing area, but it wasn't overwhelming. That's what Kaoru always liked about it. But as Kaoru fought his way through the thick crowds of the high school his chest tightened uncomfortably as his elbows knocked with people around him. He made himself smaller as his eyes darted around. He jumped when someone grabbed his shoulder.

"You okay?" Hikaru asked him, tilting his head.

"Yeah, yeah," Kaoru said, straightening out his arms, and he glanced around again. Why did it seem that everyone was staring at him? He turned to Hikaru and asked him that exact question.

Hikaru stopped and stared with his mouth wide opened. "Uh… Let's talk about this later."

"Oh no," Kaoru groaned, feeling his stomach drop. "No, no, no. They all know don't they?"

Hikaru's eye twitched. "It got around…"

"So everyone knows that for the last two years, I've been in a mental hospital?"

"Yeah, kind of," Hikaru replied sheepishly.

Kaoru groaned again and marched away, pushing some emo kid out of the way. But Hikaru caught up quickly and stopped him with a hand to the chest. "But it doesn't matter. Who cares what these stupid kids think?"

Huffing, Kaoru shook his head and walked around Hikaru. "Hey, did you just get back from the loony bin?" someone yelled out and Kaoru winced, walking faster.

Of course. Of course it had to be the high school cliché where everyone made fun of the poor mental patient. Kaoru grit his teeth and glared at everyone as he passed by.

"The young adolescent Kaoru Hitachiin returns after a long journey through self-discovery and mind-blowing adventure. This is our first glance at his victorious expression," a voice announced dramatically from behind him.

Kaoru turned with a glare and said, "Hey Tamaki. Good to see you too." He came face-to-face with Tamaki's infamous camera, pointed at Kaoru, with its record light blinking. It was kind of Tamaki's thing, to record random things like this.

"Oh shit, he's pissed," Tamaki laughed, snapping the view window closed on the side of his video camera and flipping it to off.

Kaoru rolled his eyes just as Hikaru reappeared, standing between the two of them with a wide smile. "Don't worry Kaoru; Tamaki has been laying off on the camera lately. He's been focusing more on… what was it?"

"The art of break dancing."

"Right, break dancing," Hikaru chuckled. He leaned in to Kaoru and cupped a hand around his lips to whisper, "You really don't want to see it. It's awful."

Tamaki whacked Hikaru upside the head. "I've gotten better, you ignorant piece of-"

Kaoru found himself grinning at their frivolous squabbling. Although he was unused to the crowds and the noise, he'd missed this—his friends, people his age, just talking about nothing.

Kaoru laughed at another of their horrible jokes but froze mid-laugh just as his eyes swiveled into the crowd. His vision tunneled and the air stilled around him. All sound left him and he was left with ringing nothingness as his eyes widened in disbelief. There, in the middle of the hallway was a girl, smiling, but staring right at him.

Kaoru gulped, breaking out in a sweat. He blinked… and then she was gone.

"Earth to Kaoru! Hello!"

Kaoru jumped and turned to his brother. "Sorry, I thought I saw someone I knew over there…"

Hikaru looked at him funny for just a second before gesturing to Tamaki. "We were just saying that we should do something after school and you can meet one of our new friends. She's pretty cool."

Kaoru grinned. "Oh, Hikaru, do you have a crush?" Kaoru taunted.

A bright blush cascaded across Hikaru's face and he immediately denied, "No! Of course not. She's like a sister."

"Yeah, who could possibly like Hikaru like that?" Tamaki joked. Hikaru elbowed him in the gut.

The rest of the day wasn't bad, Kaoru decided. Most of Kaoru's classes were paired with Hikaru's; it was something they had worked out with the school's counselors. And for once, Kaoru wasn't mad about it because he began to notice how Hikaru was trying to protect him at every move. Each time Kaoru was made to introduce himself, Hikaru would help by inputting his jokes. And when that kid in history class had asked about his time in therapy, Hikaru had diverted him. Also at lunch, Hikaru had insisted on taking their food outside so that the two of them could catch up, but Kaoru knew it was only to save him the stares.

Now, sitting outside the school after the last class, waiting for their friends, Kaoru stared at his brother's unaware face as he chatted away with Tamaki. Kaoru had forgotten how much Hikaru watched out for him; it had been like that ever since he'd almost died.

"Ah, here they come," Tamaki announced.

Kaoru turned to see his old friends, Kyoya, Honey, and Mori, walking towards them and behind trailed a small, short brown-haired girl. That must be the new friend.

"Kaoru!" Honey yelled, racing forward for a hug. Kyoya and Mori greeted him more casually, clapping him on the shoulder affectionately.

"And this is our newest friend, Haruhi," Tamaki explained, wrapping an arm around the short girl's petite shoulders.

Haruhi did not look amused at Tamaki's antics and shrugged off his arm. But when she turned to Kaoru, she wore a bright smile. "Hello," she said warmly. "I've heard a lot about you."

"Good things I hope?" Kaoru mused.

The group laughed at the question. Unfortunately, Kaoru had been serious, but it looked like he wouldn't get an answer to that question.

"Okay, you guys have to help me with my new video," Tamaki interrupted the laughter.

"Again?" Haruhi moaned.

"Really Tamaki, how many of these things are you going to make?" Kyoya asked with annoyance written on his face.

"Come on Tamaki, this is Kaoru's first day back. We're supposed to do something fun."

Kaoru shifted warily, unused to so much attention. Feeling like an outsider, Kaoru forced himself to speak up, "I don't mind making a video."

The whole group groaned in response while Tamaki grinned triumphantly. "Well, we better get going," Tamaki proclaimed.

They all piled into a single car. Granted it was a larger car, but it was still uncomfortable sitting so squished together. Tamaki had refused to disclose the location of their "awesome filming site." So they had all sat back and enjoyed the ride.

That is, until Kaoru saw where they had arrived. Kaoru's breath caught instantaneously. Beside him, Hikaru shifted in panic, grabbing Kaoru's shoulder to turn him to look at Hikaru. "Oh shit, what's wrong?" he asked. Then Hikaru glanced out the window. "Fuck, a cemetery."

* * *

**Sorry about the complete filler chapter before this one. I totally did not plan it that way. Oh well. Well, hopefully this chapter made up for it? Kinda? Maybe? **


	6. Chapter 6

Kaoru sucked in a shuddering breath but swallowed his fear as best he could. "No, no. I'm okay, Hikaru," Kaoru lied with butterflies in his stomach. He glanced up to see Hikaru looking back at him in determination.

"Are you sure?" Hikaru asked, grasping Kaoru's shoulder and blocking his view of the others in the car.

"Yeah," Kaoru said quickly. He would not freak out, he would not have a meltdown; it was a mantra he repeated in his head. Yet he did not look out the window. Too afraid of what he would see there.

"What's going on?" Honey asked, leaning around Hikaru to get a good look at Kaoru.

Kaoru instantly plastered his face into a neutral smile. "Nothing, I'm fine. Just a little headache…" Hikaru frowned at him but did not say a word.

"Do you want us to leave and drop you off at home?" Tamaki asked softly, looking through his rear-view mirror at him.

Kaoru looked around him and suddenly realized that everyone was staring. "I'm fine guys. I just think I'll stay in the car while you do your thing."

Tamaki nodded and silenced the engine. "Okay let's go." The large group of their friends began to pile outside.

But Hikaru stayed inside, waving his friends off, and leaned back in the seat to settle next to Kaoru. Kaoru's veins were jittering with terror and clutched his arms closer. "You don't have to stay," Kaoru uttered quietly and he pressed his forehead against the seat in front of him.

It was a minute before Hikaru replied, "I know something is going on here, Kaoru. You looked terrified when you saw the cemetery… Are you really cured?"

"Yes!" Kaoru cried, turning to his brother furiously. "How many times do I have to tell you-?"

"Stop Kaoru," a soft voice whispered from the front seat to halt Kaoru mid-rant.

Kaoru casted a fleeting glance at his father's stern gaze before sighing and turning back to his brother. "See? Just like that! You are always focusing on something else, just like before!" Hikaru yelled, leaning closer to Kaoru.

"I'm not!" Kaoru yelled back. "I just… This place brings back memories, you know?"

Hikaru placed a light hand on Kaoru's shoulder, which he almost flinched away from. "Dad's funeral?"

"Yeah," Kaoru confirmed. "I just had a meltdown, seeing all of those dead people…" He trailed off as he noticed the exasperated look in Hikaru's eyes. "But they were hallucinations, right? Cemeteries still creep me out." Kaoru sucked in a stuttering breath.

"You are going to have to get used to the real world soon though, you realize that don't you? You can't freak out every time something reminds you of the past."

Kaoru steeled his eyes at Hikaru. "What, am I embarrassing you in front of your friends?" Kaoru growled, his tone rising with each word. "Am I just a burden to you and Mom? Huh?! Because it sure seems like it!"

Hikaru's eyebrows shot up and he squeezed Kaoru's arm a little tighter. "Kaoru you off your meds?" he asked in desperation and the worry was utterly apparent.

"Fuck off!" Kaoru roared and yanked his arm from Hikaru's. He turned and forced the car door open and leaped out of the car.

"Kaoru!" his brother called after him, but Kaoru marched away, seething. His arms were shaking with rage and he ground his teeth together as he stared at leaf-covered terrain.

But then he froze, remembering himself.

He stilled by a freshly covered grave; its dirt was in disarray with clumps of grass torn to the side. There was not a headstone in place yet. Slowly, Kaoru raised his eyes from the ground.

A woman was standing there, right in front of him, covered in dirt and blood. A gash in the side of her head was teaming with blood. The new ones were always the most hideous.

Kiyoshi was instantly by Kaoru's side but Kaoru could not move his gaze from the dead woman before him. "Kaoru, you have to move," his father urged. He reached out to nudge Kaoru, but his hand passed right through like usual. "Kaoru!"

"She-She-" Kaoru began, trying to get his words out.

"It's dangerous here," Kiyoshi hissed. "You have to leave. NOW!"

Kaoru jumped, startled, at his father's yell. He swung to face where his father had stood but he was gone. Instead, he could see Hikaru heading his way.

Kaoru whirled back to the girl but she was closer, just a foot away. Yelping, Kaoru moved a step back, but froze in terror as he noticed that the two of them weren't alone. There was more of the dead, standing in a semi-circle on the opposite side of the woman's grave.

"You're one of us," the woman said ominously, raising a single finger to trail across Kaoru's cheek. It passed right through but Kaoru could feel the cold presence, which made him stumble backwards into a cracked grave.

"What? What are you talking about?" Kaoru asked, horrified.

One of the men disappeared from the semi-circle and reappeared beside Kaoru, peering just as closely as the woman. He was cleaner, looking more like the living, meaning he was an older soul. Kaoru pressed himself against the stone. "You're right," the men uttered in his scratched, unused voice. "How did you cheat death?" he demanded, pressing closer.

"Kaoru!"

Kaoru turned his head, seeing Hikaru just over the woman's shoulder. "Help me," Kaoru begged.

Suddenly the ghosts' looks of awe turned to anger. "How do you live?" the man demanded, yelling directly in Kaoru's ear. Kaoru flinched horribly, closing his eyes, and gasped out a dry sob.

"Oh God," Kaoru moaned.

Hikaru grabbed Kaoru's hand in his own and yanked him roughly. With his eyes tightly shut, Kaoru felt the shuddering cold pass through him and it felt like anger and fear, and it choked him. His legs gave way and he dropped messily to the ground. Hikaru went with him but wrapped his arms protectively around him. And they stayed like that while Kaoru felt Hikaru dig out his phone and begin to dial someone.

* * *

**So, the last 2 chapters made me feel like a failure. I wasn't writing very well and things were happening in my personal life... and it just sucked. I even contemplated for the last 3 days whether I would reconstruct the last 3 chapters and go in a different direction. In summary, I just felt like things sucked. But I decided just to move onward and see what would happen. I think this chapter went pretty good... maybe. Please let me know what you thought because I am very conflicted right now. Thanks!**


	7. Chapter 7

"He's gonna be okay, isn't he?" Hikaru asked for probably the hundredth time, holding the warm washcloth to Kaoru's forehead. Kaoru was lying stock-still on his bed, breathing slowly, with flushed cheeks.

"He'll be fine," Yuzuha reassured him softly. "Let me go get some more hot water." She placed a soft hand on the small bowl of warmed water and stood in a hurry, sloshing the water just slightly over the bowl onto her home-made sun dress. It created a dark run down the waist but she barely gave it a second glance as she made her way to the door. She was worried; it was obvious.

Hikaru turned his attention back onto his brother, breathing softly. The puffs of air from his lips teased at his orange bangs. Hikaru leaned forward, frowning. He could feel something, but he wasn't sure what it was. It was something he often felt but it was hard to put into words. It was like feeling a connection to someone's life—like he could feel Kaoru _living. _

Sitting quickly back into his seat, Hikaru shook his head, confused. What did that even _mean? _Then the weird sensation in Hikaru's gut broke and suddenly he could breathe easier.

As he put those thoughts aside, he leaned forward once more, poking Kaoru in the forehead. "Hey, brother, you awake in there? Come on, Mom's worried about you." There was no response. Hikaru sighed, offering a small smile. "Wake up so we can give you your pills, okay?"

A sudden crash filled Hikaru's ears, vibrating eerily down his spine. He spun around in surprise at the terrifying sound with eyes wild, searching for the source, and there, on the floor, was a broken vase. The same vase Mom had put a bouquet of fresh flowers into the day before for Kaoru's homecoming; and those were the same flowers as the ones wilted on the floor surrounded by a pool of dirty water.

"What was that?" Yuzuha called from somewhere from down the hall.

"The vase just fell over!" Hikaru called back in the direction of the door. His call was met by silence.

Hikaru turned back to find Kaoru with open eyes, staring in the direction somewhere near the broken vase. And here's the thing: Hikaru thought this kind of thing would stop. Granted, he loved his brother and Kaoru had always been a little… off... but he'd thought that if Mom had struggled through two years of paying for mental hospital, that at least the staring would be cured. It didn't bother him, but it sure made him curious.

"Kaoru," Hikaru said, jolting his brother from his thoughts. Kaoru's eyes switched to Hikaru, looking somewhat wary. "How are you feeling?"

Kaoru huffed, crinkling his eyebrows together in just that slight angle that screamed his irritation. "Just fine Hikaru," Kaoru replied in a low tone. He pushed himself up so that he could lean back against the headboard. He grimaced and addressed Hikaru once more, "You don't have to baby me."

"When a guy has a panic attack and faints in the cemetery, I think it's okay to baby them," Hikaru smiled.

Kaoru's eyes snapped to Hikaru's once more. "I'm really sorry about that," he said, his voice softer that before.

"You don't need to apologize… But I gotta know. What happened back there?"

"Like you said, it was a panic attack."

Hikaru cocked his head and set his jaw, raising one eyebrow.

Kaoru rolled his eyes. "Fine. It reminded me of Dad's funeral. Couldn't take it, you know?"

It was a plausible explanation, Hikaru acknowledged. Dad's funeral was a memory of haunting horror. Kaoru had screamed and screamed, refusing to go into the cemetery. So he was resigned to sit in the back of Mom's car. And Hikaru, being the good older twin, had planted himself next to Kaoru in the cold car and held Kaoru's shivering cold hand. The rain had pitter-pattered relentlessly across the grassy yard of the nearly winter afternoon. But what had been the most frightening was the hollow look in Kaoru's eyes as he stared down at the car floor and nowhere else.

It was much like the look on Kaoru's face now.

Hikaru reached for the nightstand, needing distraction, and plucked up the prescription bottle. It rattled in his hand as he lined up the arrows and pried it open; revealing the bright red pills Hikaru had grown up seeing. He dumped two into his hand and held them out to Kaoru.

A frown flickered across Kaoru's face before he grabbed them from Hikaru's fingers. He held them stiffly before looking up at Hikaru. "So… what happened after I passed out?"

"Fainted," Hikaru corrected. Kaoru cracked a smile and shook his head. "Well, I called Mom. She came to pick us up and that's it." Hikaru noticed the disbelieving look on Kaoru's face. "No, really! Our friends don't know a thing. They were too busy making their video, or whatever, to notice that we had left and that you… weren't conscious. I shot them a text to tell them we had to go… There were no questions asked. You're safe."

Kaoru smiled warmly, clearly relieved. "And Mom _didn't_ want to take me to the hospital?" Kaoru laughed.

"I convince her otherwise," Hikaru replied with a grin.

"You're the best Hikaru," Kaoru said happily, relaxing against the headboard.

Hikaru rustled Kaoru's hair. "And you're the best little brother ever."

Kaoru glared. "We're only a few minutes apart."

"What can I say? I like to tease you." Hikaru stood, stretching his legs. "I'll go get you some water for those pills." He turned and left through the open door.

Kaoru sat awhile, not alone, but completely silent, listening to Hikaru's hurried steps down through hall. As soon as he heard steps down the stairs, Kaoru whipped to face his father. He was examining the items across Kaoru's old dresser. "What the hell was that back at the cemetery?" Kaoru demanded of his dead father.

Kiyoshi turned slowly; his expression was of the utmost seriousness. "I don't know, but I will find out, Kaoru. And get rid of those damn things," he growled, pointing at the red pills in Kaoru's hand.

"Right," Kaoru said, sliding them under his bed to the hole in his box spring that he'd used before the mental hospital. "We don't want to go without communication again, do we?" Kaoru added, thinking of the recent lapses in seeing ghosts. The effect of the pills sometimes lasted hours, sometimes days. And each time, Dad wasn't happy about it.

"Don't joke about that," Dad said sternly. "I don't like not being able to reach you."

Kaoru nodded looking away. "So what do we do now?" he asked, fiddling with his fingers.

"You wait. I'll go ask around. And Kaoru? Don't trust anyone but me, okay?" It was a reminder Kiyoshi gave often.

"Yeah, I know," Kaoru said, just as his father disappeared.

* * *

**Snap! It's been a whole week! But then again, I was studying for two tests, working, and other things... But what am I kidding? I have no excuse! Well, I am out of my funk now and I have a destination for this story, so everything is a GO! That means more frequent updates unless I get swamped by school once again. Look forward to the plot twists coming up soon.**


	8. Chapter 8

That night, Kaoru woke with a start, feeling a deep cold encircling the room. He shot up in his bed, and stared around into the heavy darkness, only seeing by the shallow moonlight shimmering against the drawn dark curtains. He squinted as the fear crept up his spine. "Dad?" Kaoru called softly, but was careful not to speak too loudly, trying not to wake Hikaru, whose room was immediately next door. There was no answer.

Reaching slowly, Kaoru leaned over his desk for his lamp. His hand brushed over the many objects on his bedside table until his fingers met the cool metal of the base of the lamp. He clambered for the pull switch.

As soon as the light was on, Kaoru gasped, scrambling away. Directly on the side of his bed was a girl, the same girl that had been loitering in the halls of the school that day.

"So you can see me," she whispered, standing still, flickering in and out of view.

"Jesus Christ," Kaoru gasped, holding a hand to his racing heart. He still did not have much experience dealing with many ghosts. His Dad usually kept them away. Kaoru could count on his fingers how many times he's been visiting by spirits at the mental hospital.

"Didn't mean to startle you," she murmured. Her voice seemed to echo off the walls.

Kaoru looked up at her, tightening his eyes. She was young, maybe around Kaoru's age, and she was dressed in fuzzy red pajamas and extremely baggy red t-shirt. There was a thick dark bruise ringing her neck. "You're a new one," Kaoru stated.

The girl looked started. "How did you know that?"

Kaoru gestured to the mark on her neck. "But you are also on the verge of the veil," he continued. "You keep on fading and reappearing. Why haven't you moved on?"

"I don't know where I'll end up," she whispered, almost inaudible. "I killed myself you know."

Kaoru nodded, not removing eye contact. Scared spirits could be violent if pushed, and this girl was extremely jumpy. "It won't be bad, where you are going," Kaoru said.

"How do you know?" she asked, raising her eyebrows. But then she shook her head. "Never mind, don't answer that. I won't believe you."

Trust issues. Typical. Kaoru tilted his head. "Did you kill yourself here?"

"In this very room," she replied, sounding smug.

"What about your family?"

She glared and the room dropped a few degrees in temperature. "Don't you dare say a word. They didn't care." The girl approached the side of the bed, seething.

"Come on, calm down," Kaoru warned, moving his feet, ready to bolt. He hated the emotional unstable ones.

"They just forgot about of me! I don't even know where they are!" She cried, her voice steadily rising. She reached for him, her eyes wild.

Kaoru shot from the bed and rounded to the door, keeping his hands up in front him. "I'm not a part of this. I'm not your family."

She didn't falter. Instead she reached onto the table and grabbed his lamp. At impact of the girl's touch, the light flickered out, casting them into complete darkness. "You are just like them. You don't care; you…"

Kaoru didn't wait any longer, he reached for the knob, flinging the door open to the darkened hallway, and closed it behind him. A crash hit the door, shaking the knob in his fingers. "Shit, my lamp," Kaoru growled and proceeded to curse under his breath. The door rattled a second time and that sent Kaoru moving. He bolted down hallway, looking back over his shoulder and trying to peer through the darkness. But when he turned back, the door directly to Kaoru's left burst open, and Kaoru ran right into it with a crash.

On the floor, Kaoru clutched at his head and rolled over on his side as he groaned. "Kaoru?" a surprised Hikaru called into the darkness. "What are you doing?" Hikaru was immediately at Kaoru's side, kneeling beside him. "Are you okay?"

Kaoru swung up into a sitting and looked over at his door. It had stilled. Kaoru glanced back at Hikaru; he could vaguely see his brother, frowning at him, wearing similar pajama bottoms. "I'm okay," Kaoru said quietly, trying to still his erratically-beating heart.

"It didn't sound like it," Hikaru said just as quietly.

Kaoru looked away.

"Kaoru, it was really loud in your room…"

"I knocked over my lamp, and it broke."

Hikaru tightened his eyes and then looked down the hall at Kaoru's door. And then suddenly Kaoru's brother was up and standing, marching down to the end of the hall to his door. Kaoru scrambled to his feet and followed closely after. "You don't want to go in there," he urged, trying to stop Hikaru.

But he was already at the door, flinging it open. Kaoru instantly breathed in relief; the girl wasn't there.

Hikaru gasped and jumped back into Kaoru. "Shit," he hissed, grasping his bare foot. He'd stepped on the remains of Kaoru's lamp.

"I warned you," Kaoru said weakly.

"How does your lamp break itself all the way across the room?" Hikaru demanded, turning on Kaoru. "Come on; tell me, because I'd really like to know."

Kaoru remained silent, just staring as Hikaru clutched his foot.

Hikaru huffed and limped the short distance to their shared bathroom. He flipped on the light, blinding them both momentarily, and he lifted his injured foot gingerly on the edge of the counter. Turning on the water, Hikaru pulled a chunk of glass from his foot, setting forth a rush of blood.

"Sorry Hikaru," Kaoru said, leaning against the doorway to watch him.

Hikaru was quiet as he continued to wash off his foot as the blood dripped across the rim of the sink. "Just tell me what's going on," he replied, not looking up.

Kaoru hesitated. "I wish I could…"

Hikaru glared at him before opening a drawer to grab a washcloth to press to his wound. "That's bullshit, Kaoru, and you know it."

Kaoru paled. "What do you mean?"

Giving him a look of complete disbelief, Hikaru turned off the water and slammed his foot back down onto the floor, only wincing slightly. "I mean you've been talking to no one, staring out of space… It is just like it was before you went away. Are you even taking your pills?"

"Please don't tell Mom," were the words that spilled from Kaoru's lips.

Hikaru stood, head tilted, with an expression of complete indignation. "You're serious?"

Kaoru took a step forward. "Please, Hikaru."

Hikaru dropped the red-stained wash cloth onto the counter and paused, bracing himself against the sink. He looked back up at Kaoru. "You are going to tell me about this sometime," Hikaru said, straightening up.

Once again, Kaoru said nothing.

So Hikaru brushed by him, leaving into the darkened hallway. Kaoru stayed where he was, sensing the impending guilt hanging above his head. He used to share everything with Hikaru but now, they had drifted apart.

He sighed and grabbed Hikaru's dirty wash cloth, wrung it out, and proceeded to clean up the bloody trail Hikaru had left behind on the tile.


	9. Chapter 9

The next night, Kaoru woke once again around three AM, feeling… off. He reached for his lamp, blinking blearily, but then realized that he'd thrown away the shards the night before. He sighed and moved slowly to remove his comforter from his torso. There was this creeping feeling that he was being watched and he didn't doubt that he was.

He placed one bare foot down onto the cool carpet and his heart jolted temporarily as he imagined the things that could grab him from underneath the bed, and then he stood, crossed the room to the light switch. Flipping the light on, he glanced wearily around. There was no one in sight and it unnerved him. Dad hadn't been back from where ever he's been for the last two days.

Dropping his hand from the light switch, Kaoru crossed the room and sat down on his bed and rubbed at his eyes. He didn't know if he could sleep anymore tonight. Something just didn't feel right. "Where are you?" Kaoru called out, peering around his well-lit room. In the corner was a pile of boxes where he had started to put away old junk from this room. Otherwise it was generally clean.

After a moment of silence, he frowned. That girl had to be lurking around here somewhere, he just knew it. He internally cursed himself, wishing he had researched the girl at school that day. "I know you're here," Kaoru said quietly.

And he was right. She appeared right in front of the door, looking at him curiously. "You called?"

"You were going to come anyway," Kaoru replied.

She flickered out of view and reappeared beside him, staring down at him with cold eyes. "I have a proposition for you," she spoke softly.

Kaoru jerked his head upward. "What are you talking about?"

She tapped her chin and disappeared from view and reappeared on Kaoru's right. "I will leave your family alone, if you do a little something for me."

"But you haven't been bothering my family…" he trailed off. She grinned at him and his eyes widened in realization. "You wouldn't," he whispered.

"I would," she laughed hideously.

Kaoru rose slowly, glaring. "I'm not letting you do anything," he growled, curling his fingers into fists.

Her smile dropped. "We'll see about that." And she disappeared once again and did not resurface. Kaoru whipped around his room, looking for her, but she was nowhere in sight.

"Shit," he spat. His chest panged as he thought of his sleeping family, just down the hall. Quickly, he strode into the quiet hallway, not bothering to flick on the light.

The first place Kaoru looked was his mom's room. He wouldn't doubt that the girl would want to hurt the only living parent he had. The creaked just slightly as he slipped the door open; he heard no noise and saw nothing through the heavy dark. He stood a minute more, just to be sure, and then closed the door.

Then he went to Hikaru and was less hesitant to throw open the door, feeling his heart in his throat, but he did it as quietly as he could. Immediately he could hear the deep breathing of his sleeping brother, and nothing seemed out of place. Kaoru turned to close the door when the ghost girl suddenly appeared beside Hikaru's bed.

Kaoru froze with his hand on the doorknob as he watched the girl anxiously. She was staring down at his brother, her long brown hair covering her expression, but then she looked up with a smile. She leaned forward to touch Hikaru's face.

"Don't," Kaoru hissed, even though she wouldn't be able to touch Hikaru physically.

Her smile grew when she straightened up. So instead of touching Hikaru, she turned around and reached for Hikaru's large fan. Kaoru's breath caught as she lifted it easily with seemingly no effort. He'd almost forgotten that spirits could control objects but not living beings…

She took the fan, wrenching the chord from the wall and walked to Hikaru, lifted it over his head and…

Kaoru paced across the room to stand directly by her and she held still, raising an eyebrow in a question. Kaoru grit his teeth before saying, "What do you need me to do?"

The girl smiled genuinely, and moved the fan back to its original place. "Meet me in your room," she whispered, almost intimately, and then flashed out of view.

Kaoru turned; ready to move from the room, just as Hikaru shifted in his bed, turning over. Kaoru waited until his brother was settled before retreating into the hallway and returning to the harsh lighting of his room.

She was waiting for him by the window. "Your job will be simple."

Kaoru made his way across the room and came to stand by her. "Open the window," she instructed. He unlatched the window, pried it open, and exposed them to the cool autumn air. "Now jump."

Kaoru turned on her. "What the hell are you talking about?"

She looked at him as if he was an idiot. "I've been alone for the last twenty years. You are the only one I have been able to talk to."

"So you are trying to kill me, so you have someone to talk to?"

"You… or your brother if you prefer," she goaded.

Kaoru shook his head, taking a step back from the window. "No, I'm not doing it."

"That's okay, I guess," she said, but then she pulled an object out from seemingly nowhere. It was a knife, shiny and sharp. "I got this while you were looking in on your mom. I think I will cut the wrists instead of just stabbing. It will be more romantic, don't you think?"

Kaoru stilled. "You can't do this. This isn't fair."

"Fair? Do you think my life was fair? My life sucked and still does. So, you can either jump out this window, or I will slice and dice your precious older brother," she growled, gesturing with the knife dangerously.

Kaoru hung his head, sweating profusely, and nodded. He placed his hands on either side of windowsill and braced himself against the edge. "Just promise me you won't touch my family," Kaoru whispered.

"I promise," she said with more compassion than she had shown in any other instance.

Kaoru breathed out and lifted himself onto the sill. The dark, frozen winds, whipped his face, streaming through his orange locks. He breathed out and…


	10. Chapter 10

Something deep inside of Hikaru screamed for him to wake up; call it brotherly instinct, or maybe just the fact that he could hear Kaoru's frightened voice through the this walls. But whatever it was, Hikaru was jolted awake, feeling nothing but fear.

He threw his blankets aside, sensing something was wrong, and jammed his feet down onto the carpet, ignoring the still sore cut on the bottom of his foot and hobble uncertainly into dark hallway. His eyes whipped to Kaoru's door and saw the shimmer of light creeping out from the crack under the door.

Near the door in a flash, he wrenched it open, blinking once to adjust before gasping in surprise. There was no one in sight of the room, until he looked towards the source of a cold breeze. The window was open, full and wide, and Hikaru had looked just in time to see Kaoru push himself from the side of the house, diving towards the hardened ground.

"Kaoru," Hikaru spoke, almost disbelieving as his brother disappeared from view. And when a hard thump hit somewhere outside, it all become real. "Wha… Kaoru!" he screamed suddenly. He raced to the window and flung his head out into the cool air and looked below into their silent backyard.

Kaoru was lying still, but Hikaru couldn't make out much more in this darkness.

Shit. Could a second story drop kill someone? Hikaru didn't wait to find out. He turned and rampaged through the room, almost running into a wall as he turned the harsh corner into the hall, and sprinted all the way to the opposite end to his mother's room. "Mom!" he hollered, ripping the door open with a bang.

"There is something wrong with Kaoru!" he screamed.

She flung into a sitting position, completely terrified by Hikaru's arrival. "What are you talking about?" she replied in a panic.

Hikaru didn't reply. He was already taking two steps at a time, plunging downwards. His bare feet skid across the kitchen floor as he dodged around the counter to the backdoor. He fumbled with the lock with shaky hands but eventually got it open with a harsh click of metal. The door banged open and he didn't bother to close it as he raced out onto the brown, frozen and dead grass, to his brother who was lying just next to the light streaming from the bedroom window.

"Oh God, Kaoru," Hikaru gasped, skidding to Kaoru's side and dropping to his knees. He immediately placed a hand to Kaoru's chest and pressed an ear to feel his for breathing. There was no warm return on Hikaru's cheek and it set in the utter panic and terror.

He brought his hand from Kaoru's chest to Kaoru's neck instead, to feel for a pulse. "Oh my God," Hikaru whispered as he felt nothing. "Oh God, no!" he said louder with rising fear. Hikaru was frozen for a second, staring at his brother, fearing the worse. What should he do? What should he _do?!_

And suddenly something swelled inside of Hikaru. It was a warm and impossibly calm sense of assurance. Through complete instinct, Hikaru placed his hands on his brother; one hand on his heart, one hand on his shoulder, and he breathed slowly.

Closing his eyes, he shot somewhere into the darkness, feeling completely lightheaded, but free. Something ripped through him, not painful, but it was a sense of detachment. Hikaru opened his eyes.

He was standing outside of himself, watching his body press his hand to his brother. He glanced at his own hands and wasn't surprised to see them completely translucent and transparent.

"Hikaru, what are you doing here?"

Hikaru turned to his brother just next to him, staring at him in complete confusion. "Get back in your body," Hikaru demanded, gesturing to his body just below where they both stood.

"You mean it's still not my time to go?" Kaoru's soul asked, tilting his head.

Hikaru tightened his eyes. "You know it's not."

Kaoru huffed. "You're so bossy." But he did as he was told and walked to his limp body and kneeled down by it. He glanced once more up at ghost Hikaru, and Hikaru nodded to him. Then Kaoru placed a hand into his body, jolting both Hikaru and Kaoru's souls with the harsh sudden pulse of Kaoru's heart. "See you soon?"

"I better not," Hikaru replied. And Kaoru disappeared into his body, laughing like it was so damn hilarious.

Hikaru sighed but smiled to himself. He's saved his brother from his stupidity once again. Breathing out slowly, he prepared himself to return to his own body. Distantly, he felt sad that he would forget what he'd done for his brother once again, but he shrugged it off and squatted next to his body.

He reached in slowly until he remembered nothing, and his body dropped unconscious next to Kaoru.

* * *

Yuzuha stood frozen at the edge of the yard, barely able to breathe. She watched with blank eyes as Kaoru twitched suddenly under Hikaru's touch. Then, a few seconds later, Hikaru fell with a thud into the grass beside him.

Her breath caught once more and her hands were clammy and cold. This wasn't just a coincidence. She'd seen this same scene once before.

* * *

"KAORU!" Yuzuha screamed, racing to her bleeding boy in the pavement, with Hikaru in her arms. She was crying and sobbing as she dropped heavily to her knees into the puddle of blood, and placed Hikaru down beside her. She didn't want Hikaru to see this, but what could she do when her other baby boy was bleeding out in the street.

She let go of Hikaru and instead carefully scooped Kaoru into her lap, getting blood all over her hands. Kaoru was bleeding heavily from his head and a gash in his shoulder. There were other scrapes and gashing across her little boy but none as serious as those two.

Somewhere in the crowd that was circling them, Yuzuha could hear someone calling 911, and she hugged her boy tighter as his hair turned from orange to red from all the blood. "Check for a pulse," someone told her, kneeling nearby.

She did… and she felt nothing. He was dead or would be dead, she was sure of it. She cried out in a strangled sob, "There's nothing there."

Beside her, she heard Hikaru's wail again as he began to cry once more and he pressed himself into his mother's side. Remembering her child, she pulled him to herself with bloody hands, pressing her face into his soft locks of hair. "It'll be okay," she lied through a sob. Her embrace left a bloody smear down Hikaru's blue shirt.

The sirens were somewhere in the distance. There was no way it would reach them in time to make any difference. So she held her boys and continued to cry. How would she break the news to her husband? How would she tell him that they had outlived their six-year-old son?

Suddenly, Hikaru struggled out of her grasp. She tried to regain her grip on him, but he pulled away and sat down next to his lifeless brother.

Yuzuha's tears glistened silently from her eyes as she watched as her son placed a careful hand on Kaoru's heart and another on his shoulder, closing his eyes. And he sat there, still as could be, and she didn't know why.

But after a moment, Kaoru gasped suddenly, and there was uproar from the crowd around them. "Oh Kaoru!" Yuzuha cried, once again feeling for a pulse. It was there and strong.

She turned to hug Hikaru in her excitement, but she ended up catching the toddler as he fainted, right into her arms.

Later, Kaoru was called a miracle child. But Yuzuha eyed her son Hikaru, and wondered if he had anything to do with it.

* * *

**So... what do you think?**


	11. Chapter 11

Kaoru was shook gently awake; his eyes fluttered and his vision settled to see his mother's concerned eyes. "Mom?" Kaoru mumbled, moving his stiff limbs in a wide stretch.

"Oh, Kaoru. Thank God," Mom gushed, bundling Kaoru into a warm hug. "I was so worried."

When she pulled away, Kaoru sat up slowly, looking around. He was sitting on the maroon leather couch, covered in two heavy comforters, with Mom kneeling at the edge of the couch in her nightgown. A single lamp was on in the living room and no sun had yet appeared through the windows. Kaoru glanced over at the opposite couch.

"What happened?" Kaoru questioned, seeing his twin passed out. Hikaru was still on the couch, his face completely relaxed.

"You jumped out the window, honey," Mom responded quietly, patting and rubbing his hand affectionately.

Kaoru looked up at her with wide eyes. It was all coming back to him. He'd jumped, all because of that damn ghost girl. Kaoru glanced around the room, suddenly feeling fearful for his family. She could still be a threat.

"Hikaru went outside to check on you and…" She glanced over at her oldest son with a weary look on her face. Kaoru followed her gaze and watched Hikaru breathe softly into his blankets. "He just fainted next to you. It was the weirdest thing…"

Kaoru watched Hikaru for just a moment more, trying to figure out why that could happen to Hikaru, but he couldn't. Turning to back to his mother, he was surprised to find her looking at him expectantly. He tilted his head, raising an eyebrow.

"Kaoru," she addressed him, stilling playing with his hand, "Did something happen with Hikaru?"

His eyebrows quirked in surprise. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, that, uh… did he do something to you?"

Kaoru gaped, not understanding what she was trying to get. "I don't…"

"Never mind, never mind," she interrupted quickly. "I guess I was just seeing things."

They faltered into silence after that with Kaoru looking at his hands, while Mom went over to check on a still unconscious Hikaru. "How did you get us in the house?"

"Carried you," she said flippantly, adjusting the pillow underneath Hikaru.

Kaoru laughed. "What? Are you serious?"

She turned with a smile. "You aren't as light as you used to be but I'm stronger than you think."

"Apparently you're Super Woman," he joked.

Mom laughed with him but stood and crossed the room to the connected dining room, disappearing out of sight. When she came back she was holding a glass of water and an orange pill bottle. "Oh good, my meds," Kaoru said fleetingly.

Yuzuha dropped to her knees again by Kaoru and looked at him seriously this time. There was no more humor in her eyes. "You haven't been taking your medication have you?"

Kaoru looked down but then looked up again with a smile. "What are you talking about? Of course I have."

"I know when you are lying," she whispered. She placed the glass of water in Kaoru's hands. "And what else would possess you to jump out a window?"

Clutching the water until his knuckles turned white, Kaoru looked up at his mother. "It didn't help Mom. I could still see them… the people. They won't be going away anytime soon either."

Yuzuha sighed. "I understand Kaoru, but what _you_ don't understand is that these things you are seeing are not real." Kaoru opened his mouth but Mom put her hand up to stop him. "They aren't," she insisted. "Just think about it Kaoru. Couldn't these people be just extensions of your mind? Don't they only tell you things you already know?"

Kaoru frowned, considering. She had a point there, maybe. Dad had never told him much of anything. "Then how did I know that a girl hung herself here twenty years ago?"

Mom gave him a look of complete sadness that caused Kaoru to suddenly feel empty. "Honey, I told you when we moved in."

He dropped back against the couch, completely stunned. Could it really…? Was he really crazy?

His eyes snapped to his mother, set in determination. "Give me the pills," he said, holding out his hands.

"Alright!" she cheered, opening the bottle. She grabbed out a single, large pill, and paused to say, "Just so you know, these are new pills. They should work better."

"Give it to me," Kaoru reasserted. If everyone wanted him to be normal, he would be normal. She placed the pill in his palm and he immediately downed it, washing it back with a large gulp of water. "Thanks," he murmured, giving the glass back to her.

"That's my boy." She kissed him lightly on the cheek and stood. "I'll be back in a bit."

"Okay," he said as he settled back into the blankets.

She left the room and her steps sounded softly into the kitchen. Immediately after, Dad appeared above Kaoru, taking Kaoru by surprise, and he didn't look too happy. "Dad!" Kaoru gasped, sitting up again. "Where have you been?"

"It doesn't matter. What I want to know is if you seriously just tried to jump out a window."

Kaoru paled but glared at his father. "It wouldn't have happened if you just came back to check on me once in a while."

"Well it isn't a problem now. I got rid of her," he growled back.

"You got rid of her? How?"

It's not important," Dad said, turning away and pacing to the other side of the room, near Hikaru. He glanced down at his other son almost longingly, and reached down but stopped, his hand hovering just above Hikaru's arm.

Kaoru huffed and stood; the blankets fell from his lap. "You know that you never tell me a damn thing. Never!"

Kiyoshi turned on Kaoru. "Only because I want to keep you safe!"

Kaoru shook his head. "I don't know anymore. Maybe Mom is right. Maybe I am just thinking I can see you."

Dad's eyes widened. "Kaoru…"

Suddenly Kiyoshi's ghost form flashed out of view, completely gone. Kaoru looked around in surprise. "What the-"

But then he was back, still standing in the same spot. "What just happened?" Dad asked.

"You just disappeared. Where did you go?"

"I didn't go anywhere…" Dad frowned. "You didn't. Tell me you didn't."

"I did," Kaoru replied with a smirk. "I took the anti-psychotic."

"You are going to regret this Kaoru! DO YOU HEAR ME?" His father roared. His ghostly voice rattled through the walls, shaking the house.

The sharp grip of terror snatched at Kaoru's heart and he took a step back. It was the first time he's ever been afraid of his father until now. "It's too late," Kaoru murmured and suddenly his father disappeared from sight once again.

Kaoru dropped down onto the couch and gripped the arm rest. "What the hell was that?" he whispered. He's never seen his father angry before…

* * *

Hikaru's eyes widened as he watched Kaoru yell at the man in the middle of the room. Who was this man? He had awoken to the guy standing above him but turning away to talk Kaoru…

Kaoru was yelling back and suddenly the two of them dropped into silence, staring at each other. And then…

"What just happened?"

"You just disappeared. Where did you go?"

The yelling continued until suddenly, Kaoru dropped down onto the couch. He didn't seem to notice the man still trying to yell at Kaoru, reaching for his neck. It was like he was invisible to Kaoru… But Hikaru could still see him.

Hikaru closed his eyes again. Willing it all to be a dream.

* * *

**Hey guys! I also started a new OHSHC story called Sanity's Edge. It includes Evil!Kaoru for those who voted for it.**

**I also have one of my stories up on Kindle! WOO! It is a romance story. You will find it under Kindle books on Amazon by searching "For The One I Love" by Anna Plekkenpol.**


	12. Chapter 12

Hikaru took his spoon in a trembling hand and scooped it into his frosted flakes. He almost brought the soggy cereal to his lips but he dropped the spoon back into the milk with a loud clunk. Crazy is what he was, he just knew it. Was it possible to catch whatever Kaoru had? He put his head in his hands, trying to ignore the figure that ghosted through the side of his vision.

The man had been following Kaoru around all night and this morning. However, for some reason, Kaoru didn't seem to notice him anymore.

Suddenly Kaoru walked into the room, whistling with a smile on his face. Ever since yesterday, Kaoru had become noticeably happier. Hikaru wondered what happened.

"Hey, Hikaru," Kaoru greeted happily.

Hikaru sat up straighter and dropped his hands into his lap all while avoiding looking directly at the man hovering just behind Kaoru. "Hey," Hikaru returned quietly.

Kaoru moved to the fridge and grabbed the milk for his own breakfast, and plopped down into the chair on Hikaru's left. "Are you okay?" Kaoru was scanning Hikaru's face with a scrutinous gaze. "You look a little worn."

"I didn't get much sleep," Hikaru muttered his reply and looked up at the ceiling. "I'm okay." He stood abruptly and Kaoru watched him warily, not quite believing Hikaru's excuse.

"Hikaru?" Kaoru called after Hikaru as he fled the room, sweeping past the eerie man standing near the door. "Aren't you going to put your bowl away?"

"I'll do it later!" Hikaru called over his shoulder just as he mounted the spiral staircases and rushed up as swiftly as he could. His hands felt clammy and there was a fluttering feeling in his chest, and not of the good kind. So he paced his way into the hallway and directly to his shared bathroom.

He closed the door and immediately locked it before turning to the mirror to inspect his downtrodden face. Although he had gotten freshly showered and dressed just a little while before breakfast, he still looked like hell. His eyes seemed sunken in the glow of the bathroom light and he was pale; paler than he's even been before. His hands shook as he brought his fingers to the cold glass, gracing his fingertips across his reflection but he froze, feeling ridiculous. So he dropped the trembling hand down and instead braced himself against the white porcelain of the sink and stared into his face.

No, no. He wasn't crazy, he tried to convince himself. Maybe this was just his reaction to seeing his brother jump out a window. But what if he was stuck this way forever? "God, I hope not," he whispered, looking down into the sink.

Time ticked by as he stood there; he spent it thinking, considering. Then, finally, he made his decision. His eyes snapped up to the medicine cabinet and he wrenched it open without hesitation, revealing the bottles there, but he zeroed in on a row of familiar bottles with Kaoru's name printed across the front. His hand dove for the newest one; the strongest one.

Quickly, Hikaru swallowed one of the pills down dry but then stuck his mouth under the faucet to chase it down with water. When he was done, he was once again staring at his reflection, panting, and his face was dripping wet.

"Hikaru?" his brother suddenly called through the door.

Hikaru jolted, upsetting the open orange bottle in his hand, but he caught it just in time, so only three or four pills spun down the exposed drain. "Hikaru, are you almost done?"

"Yeah," Hikaru called, quickly turning the cap back onto the bottle and replaced it back into the cabinet.

Hearing the noise, Kaoru tapped on the door again. "Hikaru are you sick?" he asked through the door. His voice was muffled.

"Just fine," Hikaru called back, closing the cabinet door. He then turned the door, unlocked it, and revealed a concerned Kaoru who had both hands on either side of the frame, blocking the exit. "Move Kaoru."

"Something is going on," his brother accused, not moving an inch.

"Nothing is going on. And why is it that you can hide everything but I have to you every detail that happens to me?"

"That is because I am obligated for answers Hikaru. It is because you opened my bottles and don't bother denying it," Kaoru snapped as Hikaru opened his mouth to reply. "I know what my pill bottles sound like." He glared at Hikaru.

Hikaru glanced behind Kaoru. The man was standing there again, leaning against the far wall of the hall. "Nothing's going on," he muttered, pushing Kaoru out of the way and rushing past the phantom man once again.

Kaoru followed him down the hall. "I know that look on your face Hikaru! You are scared and I want to know why."

Hikaru spun on his younger brother. "Kaoru, can you just leave me alone? I need to get ready for school!"

Glaring back, Kaoru slowly nodded, finally giving in. "Fine."

"Good," Hikaru said and turned to go into his room. "Holy shit!" he cried, coming face to face with the man who was peering at him curiously. Hikaru stumbled away into Kaoru and the man followed.

"Hikaru?" Kaoru asked in a rising panicky voice.

"You can see me?" the man asked, approaching just a bit closer, reaching.

Hikaru's eyes widened and his breathing sped as he watched those reaching fingers. "Hikaru?" Kaoru asked again.

"No," Hikaru whispered, shaking his head. He didn't want to be touched. No, not by this _thing. _ "No…" But the man didn't stop. His hand was inches from his face. Suddenly a complete rage swallowed Hikaru, fizzing through his veins, building and building and building until, "GET AWAY!" The power ripped and tore at him in a blast of complete pain.

It burst from him in a flash of bright light and harsh wind. And before Hikaru knew it, he was standing in the middle of the hall, alone, with Kaoru against the wall but on the floor. "Wha… what?" Hikaru questioned to himself, looking at his trembling hands that were still burning with a faint, invisible fire. He felt weaker but more… powerful perhaps. He looked to his brother.

Kaoru was looking at him with wide eyes. "What did you do?" Kaoru gasped out, scrambling to his feet.

"I didn't… I didn't do anything. I don't think I did!" Hikaru panicked.

Kaoru grasped Hikaru's shoulder, making him look at him. "What. Did. You. Do?" he annunciated.

"The man. He was following you and-and-and-" Hikaru struggled to explain. He began to tremble again.

"Wait," Kaoru interrupted. "Did you see Dad?"

Hikaru's breathing caught.


	13. Chapter 13

"What? No, no, no, no…" Hikaru said, shaking his head.

"Hikaru, listen to me," Kaoru began, holding out his hands, but Hikaru didn't want to listen. This was all too much. Way too much.

So he spun on his heels and headed to his room with Kaoru close at his heels. He flung the door open angrily and paced into his room, heading for one thing only—his desk. He ripped open the top drawer; inside was stacks upon stacks of paper, but Hikaru knew where to look. Lifting up three-fourths of the stack, he tossed it aside onto his desk, causing the papers to scatter haphazardly, but he didn't care. Instead, he focused on shuffling through the last portion of the stack for a certain picture.

At last, Hikaru found the old photograph near the bottom and he pulled it out anxiously. It was a family photo back when Dad was still alive and… Hikaru gasped, dropping the picture onto the desk, and backed away. The guy, the man in the hallway, looked the same as his father. He looked over at Kaoru with watery eyes.

Kaoru looked down at the picture with a sad expression. "The same then?" Kaoru asked.

"So you've been telling the truth the whole time? You've been seeing Dad? This is for real?"

Kaoru nodded. "Yeah."

"We, we gotta tell Mom. I gotta…"

"No!" Kaoru cried, crossing the room to hold his brother back. But Hikaru just began to pace back and forth along the side of his bed and continued to glance at the photograph.

"Okay, you're right," Hikaru said after a while. He ran his hands through his hair worriedly, once again checking the photograph. "She'll just say I'm crazy. But why can I see him all of a sudden?" He stopped in front of Kaoru, expecting an answer.

Kaoru shrugged. "I have no idea," he said. "I've seen ghosts since I almost died…" Hikaru flinched at the words. "…When we were six. But you haven't had a death experience have you?"

Hikaru shook his head. "No I haven't." But he didn't continue his train of thought as he noticed someone appear behind Kaoru. Oh, that was his Dad. He looked at Kaoru. "Kaoru, get out."

Kaoru's head shot up with bewilderment in his eyes. "What?"

"I need some time alone," he said forcefully.

A flash of hurt crossed Kaoru's face before he nodded. "Yeah, okay… I'll be in my room if you need me." He started walking out of the room but paused at the door. "But don't forget that we have to leave in the next ten minutes if we want to make it to school in time." Kaoru then disappeared into the hallway.

With the door closed, Hikaru turned his gaze on their father. "Are you my father?" he questioned seriously.

The pale figure stepped forward. It felt like an illusion to see his dead father look so real but he could still see through him a little bit. The man held out his aged hands that seemed so familiar. "Yeah, Hikaru, it's me, Kiyoshi."

Hikaru smiled just a little and then sat down on his bed. "You don't know how long I've been waiting to talk to you Hikaru," he said as he came to stand just before his son.

"I missed you Dad." He looked up at his father with a pleading look.

"I would hug you but…" Kiyoshi began but then gestured to his transparent body.

Hikaru stared at him for a while, just blinking, taking it in. "Why can I see you?" Hikaru asked suddenly.

"I was wondering when you were going to ask that," Kiyoshi replied. "So I am going to just go ahead and say it. Hikaru, you know what reapers are, right?" He didn't even wait for a reply. "Well you are the opposite. You can bring people back to life. You can manipulate souls."

Hikaru looked at him in disbelief. "No, I don't think so."

"You know you are," he replied, looking at Hikaru pointedly.

"Then what is Kaoru?"

Kiyoshi gave him a smile. "He's a soul you brought back… twice now."

Hikaru shook his head, standing up. "No. That's not me. I can't bring people back to life!"

"But you can," Dad growled into his face. "You were born this way."

"I don't believe you."

"Why?" his father demanded.

"Because you tried to choke Kaoru last night," he said simply. The angry look on his father's face dropped away. "So I don't trust you." Hikaru walked by his father and grabbed his backpack off the floor by the door to his room.

"Wait, Hikaru." Hikaru stopped, listening but not turning around. "Please, I need your help. You can bring me back."

"I don't think so," Hikaru denied. He left the room and moved into the hallway. "Kaoru! Let's go!" And he continued to march away to the front of the house.

Later, Hikaru was sitting in science class, listening to the teacher talk excitedly. But Hikaru wasn't listening. He was internally agonizing over what he had heard that morning.

Instinctively, Hikaru glanced at his little brother who, as if he could feel Hikaru's gaze, glanced back. They were two desks away, both mirroring each other in their positions. They both were leaning onto their palms, looking bored. Hikaru couldn't help but smile at his brother. He mirrored the smile. This was the closest the two had been since before Kaoru's absence.

"Okay, partner up!" the teacher called, getting everyone's attention. "Today's lab is on page 37 of your workbook and after reading the lab sheet, come up and collect your supplies. Okay, go!" Hikaru's classmates rose in a bustle and he lost sight of his brother. Quickly, Hikaru gathered up his workbook and crossed the classroom to Kaoru's desk where he was gathering up his own things.

"Partner up?" Hikaru asked.

"Yeah," Kaoru said with a smile. "Are you going to be able to cut it up?"

Hikaru paused. "Wait a second. We're dissecting today? What are we dissecting?"

"You really weren't paying attention, were you?" Kaoru laughed. "Well, it's a cat. I'll go grab it."

Hikaru nodded and took Kaoru's workbook from and headed to the back of the room to the lab tables when suddenly there was a scream and a crash. Hikaru turned just to catch the sight of one of his classmates, a girl, fainting at the sight of the dead cat, and smashing her head against the edge of the table.

Immediately Hikaru's vision tunneled and he saw the girl's soul step out of her body, but she kept one foot inside her body, looking around in confusion. Hikaru set the workbooks aside and walked to the girl without meaning to. It was like he was being drawn to her.

"She's still breathing!" the girl's friend cried from her side.

Hikaru crouched down next to her, going unnoticed by the panicking class. And he whispered to her by instinct, "You need to go back. Lay down inside your body."

The ghost girl looked down at Hikaru in surprise, obviously hearing him and seeing his eyes on her. "Go," he said.

She went and laid into her body in a flash, understanding what Hikaru meant. The girl at his feet gasped awake, making her friend gather her into a hug. Hikaru stood and backed away, trying to divert the attention from him. But in that single step back, Hikaru remembered. He remembered both times he had drawn Kaoru back from death. He sucked in a breath in shock.

Immediately Hikaru glanced over at his brother a few feet away from him. Beneath Kaoru's skin, he could almost recognize Kaoru's soul. It was a strange feeling. One thought struck him at that exact second though.

God, Kaoru was hard to keep alive.


	14. Chapter 14

Hikaru's eyes dilated when he realized… he could feel the individual pulses of the souls around him. He took a quick breath, took one last glance back at the girl getting up from the floor, and paced over to Kaoru who was watching him with wide eyes. "Hikaru," he began but Hikaru halted his words with a fearful glance.

Quickly, Hikaru took Kaoru's papers from his hands and placed it on the nearest surface before grabbing Kaoru by the wrist. And without telling Kaoru why, he pulled his younger brother to the teacher. "We need to go to the nurse's office please," Hikaru said shakily.

The teacher looked at him in concern, taking in Hikaru's sweaty, clammy face, and then nodded. Hikaru could feel Kaoru looking at him in just the same way.

And with that, Hikaru tugged his brother into the hallway and started out in a fast walking with a clenching grip on Kaoru. "Hikaru!" Kaoru protested, trying to keep up.

Hikaru said nothing. He clenched his jaw and pulled harder, leading them to their destination. The boys' bathroom loomed in front of them and Hikaru pushed inside. He finally let go of Kaoru and instead checked every stall, confirming that there was no one else in the bathroom.

"Hikaru, what is going on?" Kaoru asked who looked totally frightened.

Hikaru didn't look at him directly. Instead, he chose to lean over the sink, looking through the mirror as he turned on the faucet. Quickly, he splashed a handful of water over his face, breathing hard.

"Hikaru…"

"I don't know what is happening to me," Hikaru spoke lowly, glaring into his mirrored eyes. "I just don't know…"

Kaoru approached slowly, coming to stand just next to Hikaru. "Did something happen with that girl?"

"I saved her," Hikaru said simply, looking up at Kaoru with water dripping from his nose.

Kaoru's eyes were wide. "You… what?"

"I saved her. And I saved you too, twice actually."

Kaoru was looking at him in complete disbelief. "No, no. You didn't have these abilities before."

"But I do now," Hikaru interrupted. "And I must have had them before." He looked back into the mirror with dull eyes. "I don't know how I got these abilities or why I do… but I remember everything now…" Looking back up at Kaoru, he breathed slowly before uttering, "I can see your soul right now."

Kaoru frowned. "What? How is that possible?"

Hikaru trailed his eyes across Kaoru's face before looking past the body and focused. He could feel the link there, of he and his brother; it was almost tangible to him. It was almost surprising that he had not noticed it earlier.

He looked into the glow of Kaoru's soul; it was the color of a sunny afternoon, filled with gold, orange, and reds. "No, impossible," Kaoru said, shaking his head and breaking Hikaru's concentration.

Frustrated, Hikaru stepped forward in instinct and placed a hand on Kaoru's shoulder and one on his heart, startling his brother. But he used his energy to swat at Kaoru's soul a bit playfully.

Kaoru's breathing stopped, but only for just a few seconds, but then Hikaru let go. Kaoru was left gasping for air, breathing tightly. "What the hell… did you do… to me?" he gasped out, catching Hikaru in his shocked glance.

"I proved it to you, didn't I?" Hikaru shot back, crossing his arms and leaning against the sink.

Kaoru took another deep breath and put a hand onto the wall to steady him. "Okay, so you have this weird ghost power… What do we do now?"

Hikaru shrugged at first but then paused, thinking. Maybe there was something he was meant to do with this power after all. He bit his lip. "Dad said… I'm kind of like a reaper."

"What does that mean?" Kaoru asked, perking up.

"I can bring people back from the dead… like I did for you… but he said…" he trailed off, frowning at the tiles under his feet.

"What did he say, Hikaru?" Kaoru pushed.

"He said I could bring him back from the dead."

Kaoru was quiet for a moment with a look of surprise written on his face. "That's impossible," Kaoru murmured.

"Not according to Dad."

"Say it is possible," Kaoru reasoned, "What would people say when they find Dad suddenly alive?"

Hikaru tilted his head and used his trump card. "Mom would be happy again." A hurt look danced across Kaoru's face but disappeared just as quickly as Kaoru turned his back on Hikaru. "And you would be happy, wouldn't you, to have Dad back? I know I would."

"Of course I would," Kaoru muttered with his back still turned.

"So what's the problem?"

Kaoru turned on him with watery eyes. "I don't trust him!"

Hikaru felt a flash of sympathy but he pushed onward. "I know he hasn't been exactly nice recently… but you have to understand that you were pushing him away." Kaoru scoffed and turned away again. "No, Kaoru, listen to me," Hikaru said, grabbing Kaoru by the shoulder to face him again. Kaoru glared at him. "Imagine if you were stuck in between life and death and your own link to life decided to take a pill to make you disappear from them? Wouldn't you be frustrated?"

Kaoru's glare didn't waver. "He isn't stuck. He could move on if he wanted to."

"But he stayed because he's looking out for us. Can't you see that?"

Kaoru's face crumpled and he looked down and away. "You talk as if you know him."

"And you talk as if you don't," he replied, placing a comforting hand on Kaoru's shoulder.

Sighing, Kaoru pulled away. "Fine, let's bring him back… What do I have to do?"

Hikaru grinned and clapped his brother affectionately on the shoulder. "Well, you need to stop taking the medication… It didn't seem to affect me, but you take to it so well. How long until you stop feeling its affects?"

"Well, my old medication only lasted a day at a time at the most… But this is new, stronger. It could last much longer…" He cast Hikaru a worried glance. "Do I really have to stop taking it? I've had a lot of ghosts interested in me lately…"

"It would only be until we bring Dad back. Then, I promise, you can take all of the medication you want."

Kaoru didn't smile. "Fine, but you better take responsibility for anything bad that happens."

"Nothing bad will happen," Hikaru laughed. "Well, we can only hope."

* * *

**So sorry I didn't update in quite a while. I had finals and work and all that jazz. But guess what! My month off from school starts now! So that means more updates (between work, Christmas, and my trip to New York.) So look forward to that! Also, once again I am doing a little self-promo and saying that you should read my newer OHSHC story "Sanity's Edge."**


	15. Chapter 15

Two days later and Kaoru was standing in front of that damn mirror again, just looking, staring, breathing… He didn't know why, but he had to every time he went into that_ damn_ bathroom. He frowned at himself to accentuate his frustration.

He raised a slow hand and touched the cool glass, peering into his own amber eyes. Kaoru sighed. It was three days without ghosts, the most he'd had in a while. But Hikaru had been bugging him, telling him to say immediately when the pills wore off so that they could get started. Secretly, Kaoru didn't want to stop taking the medication. Ever. He just had this creeping feeling…

Kaoru pulled open the swinging doors of the medicine cabinet and found his medication. He stared, breathing slowly, at the label with his name. He wanted to… but he promised Hikaru.

"Kaoru."

He jumped, almost sending the bottle flying from his hand. Quickly, Kaoru replaced the bottle onto the shelf and turned. His father was standing there with almost a victorious grin on his face.

"Hey Dad," Kaoru said quietly.

"Thought you could get rid of me, could you?" he taunted still with that disturbing grin. He laughed but then faded away, disappearing from Kaoru's sight.

Kaoru turned back to the mirror and closed the cabinet, knowing it was already too late, and then proceeded to sit down onto the toilet. It was only a matter of time.

Just as he expected, a knock came at the bathroom door. Kaoru sighed and wrenched it open, revealing his brother. Hikaru smiled brightly. "Dad said you can see him now. Are you ready?"

Kaoru stood. "I still don't know exactly what we are doing…"

"It's simple," Hikaru said happily. "I just need to use my super powers and we just need a bit of your blood."

Remaining quiet, Kaoru thought it over. It still didn't sit right with him.

"Come on, before Mom gets home," Hikaru beckoned. And suddenly Kaoru found himself being led to Hikaru's room. Kaoru sat down on his brother's bed to watch him get ready.

First, Hikaru placed a metal bowl onto the floor of the room. Then, inside the bowl his brother placed a photograph of their father and a few things that looked like herbs. "Where did you get all that?" Kaoru asked, frowning.

"Shush," Hikaru hissed, rearranging it all. "Is this right Dad?"

Dad appeared beside Hikaru with a smile. "Perfect, son."

Hikaru was practically beaming with happiness. He turned to Kaoru and explained, "Dad told me how to do the main part of it. You just have to cut your hand just above this bowl when I cue you. I would do it myself, but Dad said that it couldn't be an anti-reaper's blood."

Kaoru nodded curtly. When had Hikaru and their Dad gotten so buddy, buddy?

But he had no time to think about that as Hikaru leaned forward and lit a match. Dad stepped forward and placed himself with one foot on either side of the bowl just as Hikaru dropped the flame into the herbs and the photograph.

There was no noise besides the crackling of the fire. Kaoru watched in awe as Hikaru flung his hands out in front of him and closed his eyes. There was no movement, no way of telling that it was even working, except the way Hikaru's eyes flew back and forth behind the closed lids. Kaoru waited.

Suddenly, after a moment, Hikaru's eyes snapped open and he was reaching for something on the left side of him. When he picked it up, the dancing light glinted off of it. It was a knife.

Hikaru held it out for Kaoru with patient eyes. Fear engulfed Kaoru as he looked at the knife. Everything was telling him to not even touch the blade but he looked past it to Hikaru, and he saw the undying faith on Hikaru's faith. He couldn't ruin that.

Kaoru reached for it and took it gently. The knife was a light weight in his hand but his body felt heavy, but he gulped and scooted closer to the warm flame.

He could do this, he told himself as he raised his bare left wrist above the bowl. He breathed slow and raised the knife, glittering in light. His hand shook as he brought it closer. But finally… he dipped the blade into his pale skin and cut the thinnest of lines across the veins, drawing a sharp, pained gasp from his lips.

The blood bubbled a dark crimson; the sight of the liquid sent his head spinning and he worried distantly of passing out. But he took the last step and tipped his arm, casting a drizzle of red down the curve of wrist to the bowl.

I dripped.

One.

Two.

Three.

The fire burst into a high flame, making Kaoru cry out as the heat hit him, and he pulled away in terror. Beside him, Hikaru did just the same, staring up into the fire in complete horror. Kaoru glanced back up. He couldn't see Dad anymore!

"What's happening?" Kaoru cried, dropping his bloody knife by the side of the bed. He scooted over to his brother, clutching his swelling wrist. "Did we do it right?"

Hikaru looked back with terrified eyes. "I did just as Dad told me!"

Suddenly the fire burst, sending a wave through the room like an impossible wind that sent Hikaru and Kaoru both backwards onto their backs. The breath was knocked out of Kaoru as stared up at the ceiling. Then the room went pitch black.

An intense built in Kaoru and he clenched his jaw shut to contain a scream. And suddenly felt like his body was filling up with liquid, like he was being crowded underneath his own skin. But just as quickly it was gone.

The overhead light switched on. "Kaoru are you alright?" Hikaru appeared in his vision.

Kaoru's body sat up upon its own accord. "Fine, Hikaru," his mouth said. "Do you think it worked?"

Hikaru looked around, searching the room with a worried expression. "I don't know." He got up from where he was kneeling and called out, "Dad!" No answer.

Kaoru's body stood. Kaoru began to freak. Why was his body moving for him? "I'm going to wash this off," he heard himself say as he gestured to his wounded wrist.

Hikaru nodded absently, still looking about the room.

His body took him right to the bathroom, to his mirror. Kaoru glanced into it. His hand reached out and pressed to the mirror liked he usually did and he stared into his eyes. "Looks like we are stuck together," his voice said. "And here you thought you would be rid of me."

_Dad?_ Kaoru spoke, only in his head.

"You really thought I was your Dad. Please, think again." His own mouth upturned into a twisted grin. "I'm stronger than you and your body is a container for the taking. Looks like you will be fading real soon."

Kaoru couldn't even scream.


	16. Chapter 16

Tamaki walked through the hallways at school before classes, looking down at his camera as he got ready to videotape his journey to his locket. The camera's record light glowed a satisfying red as he switched it on and moved it to chest height to begin his walk.

"Hey Tamaki!" Hikaru greeted, suddenly appearing before Tamaki's camera.

"Oh hey," Tamaki replied, zooming in for an annoying close-up on his friend. "Did you finish the history project?"

Hikaru looked sheepishly at him and shuffled the textbook in his hand. "Not exactly."

Tamaki looked up from the camera to look at his friend. "You're kidding, right? You know that that project is worth like 100 points."

"Yeah, but I was really busy last night…" he trailed off, looking uncomfortable.

Tamaki turned his attention back to his camera and moved the zoom back so that he could see the whole busy hallway around them. "Hey where's Kaoru?" Tamaki questioned, suddenly concerned. The twins were usually attached at the hips and they had been that way since Kaoru had come back from the hospital.

Hikaru looked behind him with a worried look. "I don't know," he said sadly. "He seemed kind of out of it this morning. I don't know if he's mad at me or…" He turned back to Tamaki and offered a small smile and shrugged.

Tamaki flipped the camera off.

* * *

During 2D art, Tamaki turned on his camera subtly. He was trying a different type of filming where he captured people acting naturally. So he set the camera down onto his desk quietly, where he sat in the back of the room, and aimed it at their art teacher at the front of the room.

"And here we have…" the teacher began, changing the slide on her weird power point tutorial.

But Tamaki immediately lost interest and turned his camera to survey the students. This was the only class he shared with twins, so he immediately sought them out. Hikaru sat only a few desks away, so zoomed in. He chuckled to see Hikaru with his head down in his arms; he was probably sleeping under there.

Then he turned to the other side of the room where Kaoru sat near the window. He zoomed in and stared at his screen. Kaoru was sitting straight up… staring out the window. Tamaki was so confused that he looked up from his camera to look at Kaoru with his own eyes. Because of his camera and videos, Tamaki was observant and he knew for a fact that that was not how Kaoru usually… sat.

He shook his head at himself. He was probably just imagining things.

"Tamaki!" the teacher suddenly snapped, drawing his attention to the front. "Put that dang camera away. I tell you almost every other day."

Tamaki smiled as the class giggled and stared at him. But he noticed… Kaoru was still staring out the window.

He closed the view window.

* * *

Tamaki set his tray down at his table but still held his camera in his hand; he was the last to join them but they had barely started eating. "About time!" Hikaru cried, punching him and shaking the camera.

He chuckled and turned the camera on Haruhi. "How are you doing today, Haruhi?"

"Get thing off me," Haruhi said in a threatening voice, taking a bite of mashed potatoes.

Kyoya stopped sipping his orange juice when the camera was turned on him. "When are you going to cut the crap?" Kyoya said gesturing to the camera.

"Aw, come on guys!" Tamaki exclaimed. "You enjoy the videos I make."

"Yeah, but not every waking minute of the day," Haruhi said. Mori and Honey nodded their agreement.

"Oh, come on," Tamaki complained, panning the camera around the table while his friends ate. But he stopped on Kaoru who was sitting quietly, sitting straight up. He was staring at his own food expressionlessly, not even touching it. His hands were lying firmly in his lap. Kaoru just stared.

Haruhi threw her hand in front of the camera and said, "Tamaki, seriously. Turn it off and eat."

He smiled and turned it off.

* * *

After lunch, Tamaki followed Kaoru out into the halls, turning his camera back on. "Hey Kaoru!" Tamaki called.

Kaoru stopped stiffly but turned and waited for Tamaki to catch up. Tamaki raised his camera.

"Are you feeling okay?" he asked, genuinely concerned.

Kaoru eyes traced over Tamaki's face with no emotion. "Yeah, fine," he said slowly. "Why do you ask?"

"You just seem… off today," Tamaki said.

Kaoru's face flickered with an unreadable expression. "Well, I'm fine," he said shortly.

"Oh," Tamaki said, not knowing what to say. But then he asked, "Are you sure?"

Kaoru's face turned downward into a scowl. "When are you going to get it that I'm fine? And get that camera out of my face."

"But you know that I videotape-" but his voice faltered. Kaoru had turned his gaze directly on the camera, and at that exact moment, the camera screen went fuzzy until the entire picture was just static lines.

Tamaki looked up, opened mouth, but Kaoru was already walking away.

He turned the camera off.

* * *

Tamaki caught up to Hikaru after school before he met up with Kaoru. "You have to get a look at this," Tamaki urged, walking with his friend.

"No, Tamaki," Hikaru denied. "I'm not watching one of your videos again."

"No but this is important. This is about Kaoru."

Hikaru stopped in his tracks and looked at him seriously. "What about him?"

"Just watch," Tamaki said. Tamaki went through each video, showing Hikaru each thing he found weird. With each piece of footage, Hikaru begin to look more and more terrified.

"See what I mean?" Tamaki asked.

"I've got to go talk to him," Hikaru said urgently. And then he was gone, pacing in the direction of Kaoru's locker on the other side of the school.

Tamaki looked down one last time at his camera footage before shutting it off.


	17. Chapter 17

**Back from New York and ready to write! YAY! So here we go:**

* * *

"Kaoru," Hikaru addressed his brother, reaching for his shoulder, but Kaoru turned before he could touch him, slamming his locker shut.

"Yeah, Hikaru?" Kaoru asked, looking at him steadily.

Hikaru studied his brother. He didn't look any different from any other day; Kaoru's hair was parted as usual and he was wearing his usual styles… There was just something off in his eyes. "What's going on, Kaoru?"

Kaoru's eyebrows twitched in confusion. "What are you…?"

"You've been acting weird," Hikaru stated, watching for a reaction. However, Kaoru did something he did not expect.

He smiled. It was genuine and real. "Oh yeah, sorry. I've been feeling kind of sick today; not quite right. One of those days, you know?"

Hikaru didn't know what to believe. Kaoru's behavior very well might be from feeling sick, but then he also saw Tamaki's videos, which were terrifying on their own. But… then again, Tamaki's camera could just suck. "Yeah, okay," Hikaru said softly.

Kaoru slung his backpack over his shoulder and smiled again. "Well, let's go. I'm feeling a little better but that doesn't mean I couldn't use a nap," he chuckled.

"Oh crap," Hikaru said suddenly, realizing, "I forgot my backpack by Tamaki's locker."

"Well, you go get that and I'll meet you outside for the bus."

"Okay, see ya," Hikaru said and watched Kaoru stroll away. Before he could convince himself otherwise, Hikaru focused in on his brother, reaching for the other's soul. And we he did so, he saw Kaoru's soul resting there safely, just as always.

Wait… did his soul just flicker?

* * *

Yuzuha scraped the sponge across the crusty lining of the pan within the sudsy water, splashing her arm in the filth. She frowned as she scrubbed and her sleeves were rolled up tight and her hair was bunched into a tight bun. She listened to only the sound of her scrubbing as she worked and was accompanied by her inner voice, cursing at the seemingly unending pile of dishes.

Then she heard the sound of the door swinging open; she looked and smiled in anticipation. She'd gotten off of work early that day and she was ready to surprise her kids with maybe a trip to the movies or maybe they could just all hang out together tonight. It's been a while since they've done that.

"Hey boys!" she called into the hallway, drying her hands off in a dish towel.

"Hey mom!" came Hikaru's usual reply…. But there was nothing else. Instead, she just heard one set of feet pound upstairs and then just quiet. She frowned to herself. "Kaoru?" she started, turning around.

But she jumped. He was standing right behind her, staring with an apprehensive look in his eyes, but then it all cleared away in an instant. "Yeah, mom?" he asked slowly.

"Are you alright?" Yuzuha asked, instantly worried about her youngest child. He wasn't often this… off. She reached out and placed a cool hand on Kaoru's cool forehead.

He groaned and ducked away from her hand. "I'm fine," he whined in his usual tone. A rush of relief instantly filled her up as she watched her child trudge to the fridge.

"Did you have a long day at school or something?" she proceeded cautiously, taking the dish cloth to dry more dishes.

Kaoru shifted through the fridge and replied, "Just been kind of out of it." Yuzuha did not take any offense by the short reply. She was used to her children being short with her.

"And what about your classes?" she continued. "Are they…" She trailed off in horror when she turned to find her son holding a glass of orange juice. Quickly, she snatched it up from his hand. "Kaoru! You're allergic to oranges!" she cried hysterically. "How could you have forgotten?"

The poor boy looked utterly confused, staring at her in horror, and still holding his hand out where he had held the glass. "Maybe you should go lie down for a while, honey. You seem really tired."

Slowly, the neutral expression fell back over Kaoru's face and he nodded. "Yeah…" he said distantly and then he trailed away quietly.

After a moment, Yuzuha began to clean her dishes once again.

* * *

Kaoru felt heavy, drowning. It was like he was dying.

Slowly, he felt consciousness fizz back to himself as he fought to the surface, trying to stay awake. Finally his vision cleared and he was staring down at his hands as they weaved themselves together like a nervous tick. Kaoru tried to move his hands apart but he had no control.

"_It's no use,"_ a menacing voice floated across his mind.

"_Who are you?"_ Kaoru answered back, still trying to gain control over his body.

"_Well, not your father. I thought we already discussed this,"_ the voice answered back with a laugh in its tone.

"_Where is my father?"_

"_He's around… somewhere. He has been watching over you for quite a while, but then again so have I. And then he left you alone, the fool! Did he not know that most ghosts were just waiting for a taste of life again?"_

Kaoru struggled inside his body but it was as if he was chained to the back, cursed to watch the rest of his life from the back seat. _"Let me go,"_ Kaoru demanded.

The voice laughed. _"I've just claimed your body. Why would I so easily let it go?"_

Kaoru fought for breath, or anything that would make him feel lighter in his body. It was cramped…

"_You are dying, you know…" _the voice interrupted Kaoru's futile struggles. _"If you stay inside this body, your soul will most likely move on."_

"_To where?"_ Kaoru asked desperately, suddenly afraid.

"_How the Hell would I know?" _the beast laughed. _"But it will happen. Your other option is to leave your body now and live out your days as a ghost. Of course, you will not be stuck as a ghost. You will always have the option of moving on…"_

"_Never,"_ Kaoru forced. _"I will claim my body back."_

"_You feel how weak your body is now?" _Kaoru did. He felt himself floating more and more into a darker place each moment. How long has he been losing this battle inside his body? Days? Weeks? _"One way or another, you will be gone from this body. Now why wait out any more torture?"_

Through heavy mind, Kaoru fought one last time for the control of his body. He clawed and scratched at the wicked soul beside him. It was no use.

That's when Kaoru made the decision. He took his soul and began to pry himself from the ties to his body. He cried out in agony as each cord attached to his soul was snapped but he had to get out. He was not dying today. Ripping himself from the last confine, Kaoru fell onto the floor, panting and heaving. It felt like he was bleeding from all sides.

His body stood from his perch on the bed and smiled at him cruelly. "Good luck out there Kaoru," his own voice sneered at him. "Tell everyone that your body now belongs to Tatsuya. And if anyone tries to claim it as their own, I will throw them into the afterlife myself!"

Kaoru ignored him and began to move his shaky limbs to try to lift himself to his feet. "And don't bother trying to talk to Hikaru for a couple days," Tatsuya laughed. "Newly broken souls like your self aren't able to reveal to Life Reapers until they are at least a week old. And by that time, I will have fully taken your body as my own." He laughed, using Kaoru's voice, and strode from the room, leaving Kaoru invisible and in pain on his own floor.


	18. Chapter 18

Kaoru stood behind his mother, quiet and watchful. Well, she wouldn't hear him no matter what he did, but he just had an urge to watch her.

She plopped the frozen broccoli into a pan and it immediately sizzled, bursting in steam. He couldn't smell what she was making, but it sure looked good. He smiled sadly. Yuzuha picked up her spoon and began stirring the vegetables into her stir fry mix, creating a whirlwind of steam above, as she hummed softly to herself. The unrecognizable tune was beautiful in its own way.

Kaoru came around closer to his mom and watched her. It was an unusual feeling, to watch and not be seen. He leaned forward and swished a hand before her face. There wasn't even a flinch.

Sighing, Kaoru's shoulders slumped and he dropped his hand. "I knew you wouldn't see me, but I was really hoping that you would sense me or something."

She continued stirring but now she moved on to whistling.

"You know, Mom, I missed you… when I was in the hospital." He studied her unfocused eyes. "I did," he confirmed as he wrapped his arms around himself. "You probably wouldn't believe me if I said this to your face, but all I wanted was for you to visit me in the hospital. Maybe I wouldn't have been so lonely. Maybe then I wouldn't have yelled at you the one or two times you did come to visit me…"

Kaoru scrubbed a hand over his face in frustration. Maybe he should have told her all of this before he… died. Isn't that what has happened to him now? He died, even if his body was still living.

"What should I do?" he asked of his mother. "How do I get my body back, Mom?" He wanted to cry; tears brimmed his pale eyes. Was that even possible? To cry when you are dead? Kaoru reached for his mother, not thinking, as he said, "Do you even want me back, Mom?" His arm went through hers. He watched as she stopped stirring, put the spoon and moved away to attend to something on the opposite counter.

Kaoru sniffed but refused to cry. "Typical," he said softly. "Whenever I try to get your opinion on something, you don't listen. Isn't that funny?" He forced out a chuckle, blinking rapidly.

He pulled his hand to his constricted chest. "You won't notice I'm gone. You'll be happier without me."

"She will," a voice said, startling Kaoru out of his monologue. He glanced over to see Tatsuya entering the room. Kaoru just gave him glare but said nothing.

"What did you say, dear?" Yuzuha asked Tatsuya, pausing in her cooking.

"I was just wondering if you needed help making dinner."

She cracked a smile. "Thank you. That would be great. Can you set the table and get the milk out?"

"Yeah, sure," Tatsuya said and, when Yuzuha's back was turned, he casted Kaoru a triumphant smirk.

Kaoru paid no attention. He just fought off the sinking feeling his chest and slowly left the room as he casted one last fleeting glance at his mother.

The next place Kaoru found himself was outside Hikaru's closed door. The hallway was dark and Kaoru had no way to turn on the lights. Guess he would get used to it. He sighed again and walked forward, passing easily through the white door.

Inside, Hikaru had the radio on low and he was bending over a notebook at the desk. "Hikaru," Kaoru called out quietly and hoped that maybe, just maybe, that Hikaru would hear him. Hikaru continued writing.

Kaoru chuckled humorlessly and looked up at the ceiling with tears in his eyes. "This day just keeps getting better," he breathed out, tightening his fists and digging his nails into his palms.

After a moment, Kaoru composed himself enough to approach his brother. He leaned over Hikaru's shoulder. "History," Kaoru said as he recognized the assignment. He pushed back and instead just stood behind Hikaru for a while, just enjoying the proximity of his brother.

"Hikaru, you'd notice if I was gone, right? You'll notice soon, won't you?"

Hikaru paused in his writing and Kaoru was stunned into silence. That was until he turned to his textbook and began flipping the pages. Anger rose through Kaoru and he thrust his hand forward into Hikaru's body. He flung his hand back and forth, crying out in pure rage and devastation. "Someone see me!" he cried.

Finally, Kaoru dropped to knees, breathing hard. He stared straight ahead at the back of Hikaru's chair with eyes wide and he was so close to his breaking point. But right when he thought he could calm down, Hikaru stood from chair, started walking, and then passed _right through Kaoru._

Kaoru didn't even notice his brother leave after that because his brimming tears burst loose from eyes and leaked down first on right cheek. He sucked in a shuddering breath and twisted his fists even further into themselves. If he was alive, in his body, his skin would have bled. And it was the lack of blood that finally madeKaoru break out into sobs.

And he screamed so, so hard. No one would hear him, so he let it all out with no remorse.

With his shattering scream, the lights all across the second floor flickered.

* * *

Kaoru shifted his foot across the grass in their front lawn. The night had descended and only the nearby streetlight illuminated Kaoru's sorrowful face. But he didn't cast a shadow. Of course he didn't, he's a damn ghost! So why did Kaoru have to torture himself by staring down in the spot it should have been?

He cast his eyes back up to watch his family, and his imposter, begin their evening meal with damn smiles on their faces. God, the sight of them made his blood boil. He ground his teeth together before kicking his feet against the grass once again, making no impact.

Granted, he was surrendering now to the demon, but he'd be back. He'd figure out how to reclaim his body and _he'd be back._

Turning, Kaoru disappeared down the lonely road and not a living soul saw him.


	19. Chapter 19

Hikaru watched his brother towards the end of dinner, becoming more wary. He swore there was something a little bit off with Kaoru, even if he was acting about the same as usual. Narrowing his eyes, he observed Kaoru take a last bite to finish off his plate just as Mom went into the kitchen to start the dishes.

Slowly, Kaoru set down his fork. His eyes snapped on Hikaru, giving Hikaru a start. "You're looking at me funny."

Hikaru looked away guiltily. "You just seem off today," he said slowly.

"You already said that earlier."

Chewing on his lip, Hikaru turned to watch Kaoru once again. "Yeah, I know…" he trailed off. He didn't know what to say. He wasn't sure how to explain it. Because what if this was just Kaoru? He hoped his suspicions were false.

Kaoru sat a second more as if he was waiting for Hikaru to continue, but when he didn't, Kaoru stood. He picked up his food stiffly. "Well, if you want to interrogate me again, I will be in the kitchen helping mom." And with that, he stalked away, leaving Hikaru alone with his heavy thoughts.

* * *

In instinct, Kaoru sucked in a shaky breath. He didn't need it, obviously, but it was his nerves he supposed.

Kaoru was approaching the cemetery with his arms wrapped around himself. This is one of the places he dreaded; a place he usually tried to avoid. There were too many people at the cemetery. But swallowing his fear he strode forward through the thick dark to the iron gates that held the entrance. There weren't any lights in this area, but thankfully the glimmering reflection of the moon bounced off the shining iron and lit his way.

Reaching the gate, Kaoru peered through the gaps in the iron bars, searching for anything beyond it. All he could see were rows upon rows of stone graves beneath the slow rustling of wind in the trees.

Kaoru slipped through the gate easily, feeling the bars pass through his very being as light as a feather. When he was through, he looked about but found nothing but shadows. Surely in a gravesite there would be ghosts? Kaoru walked further into the graves, over crinkling grass but not making a sound, until he was at the top of the hill in the heart of the graveyard.

"Hello?" Kaoru called out slowly.

The wind was the only sound, whispering across the grounds, just as a cloud floated lazily across the stars and covering the moon partially. Kaoru huffed and turned around, watching all corners.

"Hello!" Kaoru called louder. His voice didn't echo and it left him in unsettling silence once again.

"Hi," a girl's voice fluttered in sing-song.

Kaoru spun around and found a girl standing there in a long princess dress, decorated in sparkles of silver and gold across the white fabric. At the stomach, however, a blooming stain stood out against the moonlight in shining crimson. Kaoru opened his mouth, trying to work out what he was going to say.

"You're new," she whispered. Her voice crept up Kaoru's spine uncomfortably.

"Yeah, well I-"

"But you didn't die naturally…" she said and her eyes widened.

"I didn't but…" he trailed off in shock. Behind her, several ghosts appeared, gathering but at a distance.

She took a step forward, looking him up and down. Then she began to circle him, saying, "You see, I died when my prom date took a knife to my stomach. He didn't like that I had hung out with Isao the night before because I kissed him and the word got around. And there, in the middle of the dance floor, he stabbed me and whispered into my ear…" She paused and brought her face near Kaoru's. "You deserved it," she whispered.

Stepping back again, she continued to circle him, one slow step at a time. "But you on the other hand, do not have a scratch on you. Of course, you could have died from an internal disease, but you would look a bit more weak and sickly."

She stopped and placed an appraising hand on the edge of her chin. "You could have overdosed, but that can't be right because… your soul glows so much brighter than ours."

Kaoru looked around in surprise. It was true; his soul glowed brightly and theirs… they just softly shone, almost blending with the scenery behind them.

She looked at him sharply. "Your body is still alive and you are going to tell me where it is."

"Why?" Kaoru asked and took a step back as fear crept through him.

"You must be in coma or something which means your body is for the taking."

Immediately Kaoru felt closed in, trapped. As he looked around, he realized that the other souls had circled in around them.

"You won't be taking it," Kaoru said shakily, looking about the group.

"And why is that?" she growled.

Kaoru opened his mouth to reply when he was interrupted by a sharp shout. "Out of the way! out of the way!" The ghosts parted to let a man through but Kaoru did not see his face as he immediately turned to the girl in the gown. "What are you doing this time, Mieko?"

She suddenly looked terrified. "He has an empty body. One of us could take it."

"You are not taking the poor kid's body. None of you are," the man emphasized, pointing to the others around them. "Now go, all of you!"

They all disappeared instantly, going their separate ways. Then the man turned around. Kaoru gasped.

"Kaoru?" he asked. It was Dad. His eyes widened and he stepped forward, inspecting Kaoru closely with a worried expression across his face. "W-when I last left you, you were just fine. I got you back home…"

Kaoru laughed in disbelief. "You left me with a demon, Dad." And then he found himself crouching down into the grass. He wrapped his arms around his knees and planted his head in the middle. He didn't want to see his father right now. Not when he had already lost everything else.

"Kaoru," his father said slowly, crouching down by Kaoru. Slowly he slid his arms around his son, tucking him into a loose embrace. Kaoru froze at the sudden solid pressure on his shoulder. "What happened?"

"A demon took my body," Kaoru mumbled into his arms. "He disguised himself as you and took my body." Kaoru peaked through his arm at his father.

Kiyoshi's face was of complete horror. "I just left you for a few days to find out why everyone was so interested in you… I asked around here and they say your body-soul link is much weaker, making you an easy target…" he trailed off, placing a hand over his mouth for a moment. "I really screwed up Kaoru. I'm so sorry. I should have been there for you. I just got so caught up with understanding everything and talking to so many of the other souls here, getting to know them… I'm so sorry."

Kaoru straightened up; he was no longer mad at his father. "It's okay, Dad."

"No it's not," his father said, looking at Kaoru seriously. "I have to get your body back for you."

* * *

**I started a new story: The Knives In His Sleeves. Please check it out! **


	20. Chapter 20

"The first thing you need to know is how to be a ghost."

Kaoru looked at his father incredulously and laughed. "I'm pretty sure I can figure it out."

Kiyoshi laughed as well but much more seriously. "I suppose you could, but I am going to give you the flash course. First of all, I bet you can't even open doors or pick up objects. You've probably fallen through some floors…"

"I have not fallen through floors," Kaoru said.

"Well, at least you have that," Kiyoshi replied, walking ahead of Kaoru towards Kaoru's house just a little farther down the road. "You probably can't teleport, seeing how we are walking home. You probably can't speak to the living. You probably—"

"I get the idea," Kaoru said grumpily, crossing his arms.

They made their way to Kaoru's house which loomed in front of them in complete darkness. Everyone must be asleep. Kiyoshi stopped at the edge of the yard and looked up at the windows, contemplating. "Your first lesson will be to get into Hikaru's room from here."

"And how do I do that?"

"Imagine," Kiyoshi explained, smiling. "Just picture yourself up there and go. I don't know how else to explain it… I think the key to being a spirit is just to have confidence in your own abilities."

Shuffling a little closer to the house, Kaoru squinted at Hikaru's window. "Maybe we should try this later. I don't want to bother him when he's supposed to be sleeping."

"It's almost dawn; it's time for him to wake up for school anyway."

Kaoru sighed but closed his eyes anyway. Hikaru's room… he pictured the room so similar to his but so much more messy with Hikaru working at his desk like he always did. Suddenly felt his body going liquid, completely weightless. But Kaoru panicked and his mind was knocked out of his imagined destination.

His eyes flew open. "Fuck," he spat. He found himself stuck in the wall between Hikaru's room and the hallway and he couldn't pry himself out. His torso and up were inside Hikaru's room but the rest was in the hallway. "Damn it." He pushed his arms against the wall. Why was he so solid now?

Dad appeared in front of him and his eyes widened dramatically. "Now how did you manage that?" he chuckled.

"I don't know. Just get me out!" Kaoru cried, still struggling against the wall.

"Maybe I should just leave you in there. It would be entertaining to watch you struggle for a few hours."

Kaoru glared at him but stopped his struggles. "Please, just tell me what to do."

"Well it just looks like you lost your focus. After a while it will become effortless but for now, just will your way out. Make yourself pliable."

Kaoru closed eyes. Come on, come on, and get out of this damn wall. Come on, go. He gritted his teeth. He just wanted out of the wall! Frustration leaked into his thoughts as nothing happened. He gasped angrily before turning his eyes back on his father. "It's not working."

"You need to calm down Kaoru. Do you want me to get you out?"

Kaoru nodded, looking down. "Yeah, thanks."

Kiyoshi stepped forward and placed a hesitant hand on his son's shoulder. Before Kaoru knew it, he felt a warm liquid sensation rolling through his body and he was dropped onto the floor of the dark room onto his hands and knees. "I can't believe that happened to me," Kaoru said. "Being a ghost is more complicated than I thought."

Kiyoshi smiled. "It was one of the funniest things I've seen you do in so long." He burst into a loud laugh.

Suddenly, Hikaru stirred in his bed and Kiyoshi hushed himself into silence. Hikaru opened his eyes and sat up just halfway on his elbows, glancing around the room with tired eyes. His orange hair was mussed comically in matted clumps. "Hello?" Hikaru whispered, filling the room with his breathy voice.

Kaoru stumbled to his feet, staring at his brother. Hikaru was still peering around the whole room, seemingly not seeing either of them. "Hikaru," Kaoru whispered back.

"Kaoru?" Hikaru called, still looking.

"I'm right here," Kaoru said sadly, moving closer to Hikaru.

But then Hikaru shook his head and settled back into the bed, tucking the blanket up to his nose. Kaoru deflated and looked back at Kiyoshi. "I think he knows that I'm not in my body anymore."

Dad nodded. "But we will get you back into your body soon. I just have to figure out what needs to be done. But I know we are definitely going to need your brother's help." He looked back at Hikaru whose breathing was starting to slow again.

"How come he couldn't see you?"

"I made myself invisible. It can be done, even against a reaper's eyes, if you have enough practice but you don't need to do that. We just need to get you visible. Usually new spirits like you take a long time to reveal themselves to the living but we have to speed up your learning process before that demon latches onto your body for good."

Kaoru nodded, growing more determined. "I know that I kind of suck at this stuff, but if it means I can get my body back, I'll do it."

"I know you can, Kaoru. I just have to gather information from the other spirits and this time I will get better results." He turned to the window to catch the sun just barely peaking over the horizon. "We should go and ask around."

"Dad?" Both Kiyoshi and Kaoru turned to find Hikaru sitting up, staring at Kiyoshi. Kaoru frowned. They both had assumed that Hikaru had fallen asleep. "Is that you?"

Kiyoshi's eyes flicked to Kaoru before he approached the side of Hikaru's bed. "It's me."

Hikaru narrowed his eyes. "I'm not so sure. The last time I saw you, you were begging us to bring you back to life."

Kiyoshi flashed a look of surprise to Kaoru. "He did that?"

"Who are you talking to?" Hikaru demanded, curling his fists into his sheets.

"Kaoru," Kiyoshi said.

Hikaru seemed to pale at the words. "He's here? But…"

"Something has possessed his body, Hikaru. It pushed him out."

"What?" Hikaru cried, looking utterly terrified. His eyes roamed the room, looking for Kaoru.

"He's right there," Kiyoshi said, gesturing to where Kaoru was standing. "I believe he has been disconnected from his body because of how many times he has been dispelled from his body. It made the link between the soul and body weak and I think this demon or ghost, whatever he is, took advantage of it."

"Tell Hikaru that if I don't come back…" Kaoru started, feeling suddenly compelled to say a goodbye just in case.

"_Don't_ talk like that, Kaoru," Kiyoshi growled, giving him a glare.

"What. What?" Hikaru said in rising panic. "What did he say?"

"He was talking as if he wasn't coming back," Kiyoshi told Hikaru while still glaring at Kaoru.

Kaoru looked away and Dad turned to Hikaru as he asked, "Why can't I see Kaoru?" Dad explained to Hikaru about how weak Kaoru was now and how, as a new spirit, he didn't have control over any powers yet. When he finished, Dad said, "I have to go ask around to see if there is a way to reverse it all. I was planning on bringing Kaoru with me but…"

"Kaoru, stay here," Hikaru said forcefully. "I want to try and see you. I'm sure there is a way."

When Kaoru didn't say anything, Kiyoshi decided for him, "He'll stay with you."

After that, Kiyoshi disappeared to wherever he was going; leaving the brothers alone even though they couldn't even communicate with one another. "I'll try my best," Hikaru said to the quiet room. His voice echoed in the silence.

"I'm sure you will," Kaoru replied. His voice fell flat.

* * *

**Sorry about the delay. This stupid semester and work are taking over my life! AHHH. Well, I will try to update soon.**


	21. Chapter 21

At school, Hikaru walked down the hall anxiously and kept glancing about him, wondering if Kaoru was with him. He hoped so. He had left that morning without waiting for or seeing his imposter of a brother. He didn't want the spirit to realize that he was planning on getting Kaoru back into his body. The only question was how to do that exactly. He just had to wait for Dad, he guessed, but he wished that he would hurry up already. It was already fourth period! You would think Dad could have found something out by then.

He was so unaware of his surroundings that he bumped right into Tamaki. "Woah, Hikaru. Are you in a hurry?"

Hikaru looked up to find Tamaki's camera right in his face. "Damn, Tamaki, keep that thing out of my face."

Behind Tamaki, the rest of their friends laughed. Kyoya sent a death glare around the group. "Tamaki has been following me around all morning with the thing. He said he was documenting the daily life of a brooding teen."

"And he deleted my footage," Tamaki sighed, turning his camera onto his friends.

"You deserved it."

Tamaki laughed but turned his attention back on Hikaru and zoomed in just slightly. "So how goes the life of the quiet but deadly one?"

Hikaru raised an eyebrow. "Tamaki, I am neither of those."

"SHUT UP!" Tamaki shouted suddenly.

Hikaru looked at him dubiously. "What? I just was saying –"

"No, not that," Tamaki said, pausing the camera, and started fiddling with it. "I swear to God that I just saw Kaoru standing behind you, Hikaru."

Hikaru was instantly at Tamaki's side as he rewound the video. The rest of the group leaned in. "Are you sure you saw –?" Haruhi started.

Tamaki shushed her. "Just watch."

He played it again. It was Hikaru, glaring at the camera and talking to Tamaki, but then Tamaki paused. In the background was a faint, glimmering image of Kaoru, staring off at something off screen. He looked real but… not. Hikaru looked up and stared at the empty spot in the hallway where Kaoru had stood.

"Hikaru, where's Kaoru?" Honey asked quietly.

Hikaru looked back at his friends in somewhat of a daze. He found them all looking at him expectantly. "He's fine guys," Hikaru said but they all continued to stare. Hikaru yanked Tamaki's camera from his hand and started walking away quickly. "I'll give this back to you later, Tamaki! I've got to show Kaoru!" Hikaru called as he walked faster.

The bell rang and Hikaru didn't even care. He could skip the rest of the day and he wouldn't care. Quickly, he scooted into the nearest bathroom and headed straight for the handicap stall. Thankfully no one else was inside the bathroom. So he was free to lock the stall door and flip on the camera. "Kaoru?" he whispered into the quiet bathroom.

The image appeared in front of the camera instantly. It was a faded out version of Kaoru but it was him nonetheless. The screen showed Kaoru frowning and talking soundlessly into the camera. He began pacing around in the small space in the bathroom.

"Kaoru, I can't hear you," Hikaru said.

Kaoru looked up, still with the frown, but he looked even angrier, if that was possible. But Hikaru laughed. "You're standing in the toilet," he said, gesturing to his brother. Kaoru's translucent legs passed right through the toilet water and disappeared out of sight.

Ghost Kaoru flipped him off before stepping away from the toilet.

"Have you heard from Dad?"

Kaoru shook his head.

"Are you doing okay?"

Kaoru stared at the camera for a second before shaking his head again.

Suddenly, Dad appeared in the stall too. "It's gonna get cramped in here," Hikaru joked. Neither Kaoru nor Dad laughed.

"There's a ritual," Dad burst out. "But we have to do it fast before Kaoru's link with his body is broken. I will guide you through it, Hikaru, but it may take a lot from you."

"Should I go back home and get everything ready before fake Kaoru gets home?" Hikaru asked his father.

"You definitely should. Kaoru and I will meet you there," he said. And suddenly, the two were gone. Not even Tamaki's camera would pick anything up.

"Fucking ghosts," Hikaru cursed. He quickly deleted the video of Kaoru and left the bathroom. He stowed the camera in his locker and slipped a note into Tamaki's locker with his combo on it. Tamaki could retrieve it his self. Then he tore out of the school before he could be stopped.

On upon arriving home, Hikaru went immediately to his room. He found his father laughing at a blank wall. "What's going on?"

"Kaoru got stuck in the wall again," Dad laughed. "I've left him in there the whole ten minutes we've been waiting for you. You could say that he's a little mad."

Hikaru smiled, wishing he could see that for himself. "Let's get down to business. What do I have to do?"

Dad proceeded to list off a ton of ingredients for the binding spell. It was things like something personal of Kaoru's, a drop of blood of the spell-binder, a lock of the deceased's hair. They collected everything quickly except the hair. They could grab that when fake Kaoru came through the door. Then Hikaru had to copy down the steps and words of the ritual. The pressure was settling in.

And finally Dad said the last thing they would need: the spirit's name. It was the only thing they needed to complete the spell.

* * *

Kaoru didn't tell his father but he wasn't feeling so good. It was so bad that he couldn't even concentrate on Dad and Hikaru's discussion of the ritual. It felt like his blood was boiling and something was being pulled from his body.

He stood away from the others, near the wall, and stared at the ground until suddenly, Kaoru fell through the floor with a scream.


	22. Chapter 22

Dad stepped forward, looking down at the floor where his son had disappeared into the floor. "What just happened?" Hikaru asked, looking with wide eyes.

Turning back, Kiyoshi said, "I have to go down there. He probably just lost control."

"Don't even try," a voice boomed out of nowhere.

The two turned to find Kaoru's body standing in the doorway. His face was screwed up into a smile that was utterly unlike Kaoru that Hikaru just wanted to punch his face in. "What the hell are you doing here?" Hikaru asked, taking a step back against the bed.

The imposter's eyes flicked down at the bowl placed in the middle of the floor. It was filled with the ingredients that they needed for the ritual. "I knew you were going to try this sometime or later," the demon said with a smile. "But you can't succeed. My link is strengthening while Kaoru's is dying. Speaking of the kid, where is he?"

Kiyoshi scowled. "He's not here. Leave my son alone."

The demon turned on Kiyoshi. "Well, where ever you put the bastard, he should be pretty weak by now because I heard that the break between the body and soul is the most painful experience for any mortal." He grinned wider.

While he was distracted, Hikaru placed his hand behind him, searching for… There, he found it! His hand tightened over the black pair of scissors and he brought them to his side.

Kaoru's body paced closer to Kiyoshi as he said, "I hope he feels every last cut as his body is ripped –"

Hikaru whipped forward, tackling the demon spawn into the ground with a loud thud. It tried to push Hikaru off with a growl, but Hikaru pinned him down and took the scissors and snipped off a thick lock of Kaoru's hair, leaving a short spot in his hair above his right ear. "Get the fuck off," it yelled.

Hikaru flew to his feet and backed over to the bowl on the floor. He quickly dropped the hair into the bowl and discarded the scissors onto the bed in exchange for the box of matches. Immediately, he lit one match and threw it into the contents. It flamed upwards.

"You little shit," the demon cried, scrambling to his feet. But then he smiled again. "It doesn't matter though. The spell calls for my name and neither of you know it."

"But Kaoru does?" Hikaru asked quickly, testing for a reaction.

Something vague flashed through its eyes. "No one knows," the demon said lowly.

Hikaru yelled to his father, "Find Kaoru! He knows its name!"

Dad disappeared instantly at the words and Hikaru turned on the demon as it yelled, "You can't do the ritual if you're DEAD!"

Hikaru's eyes widened with fear as the demon ran at him. In instinct, Hikaru raised his arms and felt power strain through him and he blasted the room with bright wide light, blinding everything from view. And within the light, Hikaru heard the demon scream.

Hikaru didn't waste another second. He flung himself back at the bed and snatched up the large kitchen knife they had prepared and raised his arm to the blade. The white light filtered away just as Hikaru found his way back to the flaming bowl.

"Blood of my blood," Hikaru whispered, swiping the knife quickly across his forearm to create a swell of blood. He tipped his arm so that the blood dripped into the flames.

The blood met the flames and it burst into green light. Hikaru raised his eyes to the demon who was plastered against the wall from the energy that had hit him. But then he peeled himself away, ready for another attack. Unconsciously, Hikaru's grip tightened on the knife.

* * *

Kaoru had his face pressed to the carpet of the living room beneath Hikaru's room. The room was spinning and Kaoru watched it through lidded eyes. Why? Why did everything feel like it was on fire?

Kaoru tried to raise his body with his hands but he felt so ill. "Oh God," he moaned, forcing himself even further onto his hands and knees. It felt as if he was being pulled from all sides, twisted and torn. He gasped as he stayed on his hands and knees, staring at the floor.

Dad suddenly appeared at his side with a shout, "Kaoru!"

"About time," Kaoru moaned, pressing a hand to his pounding temples.

"Please tell me you know the spirit's name?"

"What?" Kaoru asked, blinking rapidly and sitting back on his knees. It was so hard to concentrate on Kiyoshi's words.

He was looking at Kaoru with wide eyes. "What's wrong, Kaoru?"

"I feel… I feel…"

Kiyoshi was already grabbing at his son, helping him to his feet. "We need to get upstairs, _now._ Do you think you can get back into control to get upstairs?"

Kaoru blinked slowly. "What? Upstairs?"

"Shit," Kiyoshi growled, supporting his ghost of a son. He weighed nothing but Kaoru was still having trouble holding his self up. Kiyoshi reached around and slapped his son across the cheek. "Kaoru, you have to focus. Are you listening to me?"

"Yeah," Kaoru said weakly. "We have to get upstairs." But he sagged against his father as little pinpricks worked themselves up his limbs.

"You're in no condition, Kaoru. Just give me the name of the spirit. That's all we need!"

Kaoru blinked slowly, trying to think. "Uh. His name is… Oh god, what is his name?"

"Think Kaoru! If you want your body back, you _need _to concentrate."

"It's Tatsuya. He told me his name is Tatsuya."

And with that, Kiyoshi laid his son down on the carpet and disappeared from Kaoru's sight.

* * *

**I'm sorry that this is a short chapter, but I want to go to bed. I would have written more but my friends were watching 13 going on 30, so I kept getting distracted. But remember, I write short chapters but I update often. Sorry, that's how I work for some reason. **


	23. Chapter 23

**So I edited this chapter and dang were there some embarrassing errors. At least it's fixed now.**

* * *

The demon in Kaoru's body lurched from the wall, launching himself at Hikaru. "I'm not giving this body back!"

Hikaru acted on instinct and tackled Kaoru's body. "Get out of my brother!" he roared, slamming the spirit hard against the floor with a loud crack.

The demon started laughing hysterically. "Your brother is probably dead by now."

Hikaru roared, anger rising through his chest, making everything turn red. And suddenly he couldn't see anything but he could just feel. He was only feeling the deep seeded hate, so overwhelming. Everything was building and burning and building and burning.

"Hikaru!" a voice called, snapping Hikaru out of his rage.

His vision cleared and he found himself clutching the knife with shaking fingers, holding it against his brother's neck. There was already just a small trickle of blood leaking from where his knife touched the neck. "Fuck!" Hikaru cursed and he immediately backed up, throwing the knife to the floor beside the burning bowl. Kaoru's body was still on the floor laughing uncontrollably.

"Hikaru, we have to do this now!" Kiyoshi yelled.

Hikaru raised his hand and blasted the demon once again with the bright light, throwing him against the wall. The demon growled in rage. "I'm going to kill you!"

"Kaoru is fading!" Kiyoshi hollered, appearing in front of Hikaru, blocking his view of the demon. "He could go at any moment. We have to do this now!"

That snapped Hikaru out of it and he stumbled over to the burning bowl, sitting down onto his knees. "Did you get its name?"

"Kaoru said it's Tatsuya," Kiyoshi said, glancing at Kaoru's body.

"NO!" Tatsuya cried. "You can't do this! NO!"

"Get Kaoru back!" Kiyoshi cried, gesturing to the dying fire. "Quickly!"

Hikaru grabbed the piece of paper from the bed and turned back to the bowl. He had to pronounce each word precisely or who knows what could happen. His hand shook as he raised the paper to the light and began, "Tatsuya!" He looked straight at his brother, seeing the demon behind his eyes. It was terrified. Then he spoke the words_, "Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus…"_

He looked up to find Kaoru's, or Tatsuya's, face screwed up in concentration, maybe even pain. "Keep going Hikaru!" Kiyoshi said.

"_Omnis satanica potestas, omnis incursio infernalis adversarii!"_

That's when the screaming began, loud and excruciating, and Hikaru cringed, imagining his brother in pain and not the demon. Suddenly Kaoru's body lurched forward and Tatsuya ripped himself from the white light Hikaru had blasted at him with.

Hikaru raised his hand to reform the light but Kiyoshi grabbed his hand. "Finish it! I'll take care of him!"

Looking back at the paper, he continued, _"Omnis legio," _as Tatsuya thrashed in Kaoru's body. Kiyoshi was doing something but he couldn't see what. _ "Omnis congregation.." _Tatsuya screamed louder, thrashing against Kiyoshi hold against his body. And finally, Hikaru yelled, "_**Et secta diabolica!**_"

Suddenly Tatsuya fell to the ground, boneless, and then there was just silence. "Is he… Is he gone?" Hikaru asked, looking around.

Kiyoshi looked around slowly while Kaoru dropped the page into the fire, letting it burn. Then he stood and crossed the room to his brother's body. "Will Kaoru just snap back in there or…?"

Dad shrugged. "I don't know."

Hikaru crouched down. Kaoru was pale and completely still. Hikaru couldn't even tell if he was breathing. "Kaoru?" He pressed his fingers to Kaoru's neck, checking for a pulse. Relief washed over him instantly. His heart was pumping steadily and now, watching more closely, he could see the rise and fall of his chest. Hikaru gave a light slap to Kaoru's face. "Come on, Kaoru, you have to snap back now. Get back into your body."

"I'll go see if Kaoru is still downstairs," Dad said before vanishing.

Hikaru sat with his brother, watching and waiting. And he sat with him for less than a minute when Kiyoshi reappeared looking panicked. "Hikaru, you have to get downstairs, _right now."_

* * *

Hikaru flashed down the stairs, scared, terrified. What wasn't his father telling him? What was wrong with Kaoru? Please, please let Kaoru be okay.

He arrived into the living room, panting, glancing around. His father was standing on the other side of the couch, looking down at the floor. Hikaru launched forward, rounded the couch, and halted. He could see Kaoru. He could actually see him again but… it was not a pretty sight.

Kaoru was lying on the ground, eyes closed, perfectly still like his body upstairs. The worst of it all was that Kaoru was flickering in and out of view as if he was just barely hanging on. "What's wrong with him?"

"I don't know," Kiyoshi said, sounding anguished. "We have to do something though. Maybe we should try to bring his spirit to his body."

"Will that work?"

"We have to try," Kiyoshi said forcefully.

Hikaru came closer to Kaoru but did not take his eyes off of Kiyoshi. "What is it? What are you hiding?"

"I'm not—"

"DAD! This is not the time for lies and excuses! Tell me what's wrong with Kaoru."

He sighed. "Listen, you're not going to like it." Hikaru glared. Kiyoshi took a deep breath, reluctant to say his next words. "Fine, Kaoru is fading. I've seen it happen before."

"He is _not _fading!" Hikaru cried. He leaned down and attempted to touch his brother, but his hand went through Kaoru and his image flickered even more. Hikaru gasped and retracted his hand. "Dad, pick him up," he commanded. He could feel the rising panic. He was feeling lightheaded.

Dad looked devastated but he did what Hikaru said and reached down to pick him up. Just as he tried to touch Kaoru, Kaoru flickered just as rapidly as before. Kiyoshi backed away. "It's too late."

"No it's not!" Hikaru yelled, looking at his brother as he faded from view and reappeared a second later. "No, he's going to be fine. He'll…" He trailed off as Kaoru disappeared again.

But this time Hikaru waited… and waited… and waited…

"Kaoru."

"He's not coming back, Hikaru, not now anyway," Kiyoshi said quietly.

Hikaru stared at the empty space. "No… NO!"


	24. Chapter 24

_There was light somewhere in the darkness. It was hard to pinpoint the exact location but it was up ahead, wavering as if it were immersed in water. Kaoru reached for it._

* * *

Hikaru fell to his knees by Kaoru's body. "Oh God, Oh God," Hikaru panted. Kaoru was still alive even without his soul. That had to mean Kaoru was coming back, right?

Beside him, Dad just stood silently by with an unfathomable look on his face. Distantly Hikaru was mad that his father wasn't freaking out. Why wasn't he trying to find Kaoru? Hikaru carded his hand through his brother's hair whispering soft comforts.

"Hikaru," Dad began.

"No!" Hikaru hollered at his father. "No, he's not dead yet! Kaoru is coming back!"

"He may going beyond the veil. Any moment—"

"NO! Don't tell me that!" Hikaru cried. His tears spilled over as he ran his fingers through Kaoru's hair more desperately now.

Suddenly Hikaru heard the front door slam shut. It was Mom. "Boys?" she called.

"Mom!" Hikaru called miserably through his tears. "MOM!" Hikaru continued to pet Kaoru's hair and twisted his other hand into shirt. He heard his mother pound up the stairs and down the hall.

She appeared in the doorway to find Hikaru hunched over Kaoru's body and the room was in disarray. "Something's wrong with Kaoru!" Hikaru sobbed. "Mom, Dad won't help! He won't help Kaoru!"

"Oh my God," she whispered, rushing to Kaoru's side.

"There's nothing I can do," Dad growled at Hikaru as he continued to sob over his brother. "What do you expect me to do?"

Mom grabbed her phone from her purse and dialed. She was talking into it but Hikaru couldn't hear anything but his own cries. "SAVE HIM!" Hikaru hollered.

* * *

_As the light appeared closer and closer, it also became brighter and brighter. It was like looking into the sun but instead, it did not hurt. It just felt warm and blissful. It was like a sunny Sunday afternoon, lying in the grass. Or it was like floating in a pool, so warm and peaceful. Kaoru ventured closer but then he stopped, hearing floating words. He looked back into the darkness. Save him, it said. Save who?_

* * *

They were in the ambulance when Kaoru began fading. Hikaru's head shot up when the steady flat line droned hauntingly. The emergency rescuers began resuscitation immediately and Hikaru watched with wide eyes, filled with shock. Mom, sitting beside him, was leaning into his side, crying. Hikaru's ears pounded as he watched them work in a blur. Please, if there is a God, please.

"Clear!" The sound came rushing back to Hikaru as the man pressed the voltage into Kaoru's body. His body shuddered but did not regain a heartbeat. The sirens were loud, the voices were loud, and Hikaru's heart beat was so loud. He squeezed eyes shut and held his mother tighter.

But then, as they tried again and a then a third time, he heard Kaoru's monitor restart. There was a pulse.

"Temporarily stabilized," someone said.

* * *

_Kaoru was reaching for the light. It was so close now that it was all he could see. The darkness only ringed the edge of his vision and it was becoming long forgotten. He was forgetting something, he knew, but what was it? But the light was right there and everything felt so good. He guessed whatever he had forgotten could wait. He would remember after he went to the light._

_But then something burned, so sharp, so painful, through his world. For a second the bright light shuddered out of sight and he only saw deep, swallowing dark. But it flashed back in no time._

_He picked up his pace, racing towards the light. It shuddered out of view again and he felt so lost, so alone. He tried to cry out but he could not make a sound. _

_Then the light was back, closer than ever before. If he just reached forward…_

_The pain was so sharp that he fell through something solid and fell and fell into the void. He was drowning, then drifting, and then… He landed, no longer in pain. Kaoru could see the light again but it was far away. He began walking._

* * *

"I'm going to get coffee," Mom said tiredly. She was a mess. Her makeup was smeared and her hair was matted.

Hikaru nodded, staring at his brother. She patted Hikaru's arm and left the room, leaving Hikaru alone with his ghost of a father and the hollow shell of his brother. He clutched Kaoru's hand tighter as she left. A coma is what the doctors had said. They didn't know if he would wake up.

"Hikaru," his father said quietly. Hikaru didn't respond, continuing to stare at Kaoru. "There is one thing you could do."

He looked up blearily at his father. "What is it?" he said forcefully. "I will do anything."

"It'll be beyond dangerous. You could die with him."

"Tell me," Hikaru growled.

Dad sighed but came closer. "Follow him into the veil. Follow him and drag him out. You have the power to."

Without another word, Hikaru did exactly that. He stood and leaned over his brother, placing one hand over Kaoru's heart and one on Kaoru's shoulder. Closing his eyes, Hikaru concentrated. Effortlessly, he slipped into darkness.

* * *

_The light flickered before Kaoru and he paused in his tracks, looking around. A breeze whisked through the pure dark, waving through his orange hair. Kaoru raised a hand against it in confusion. There was no wind here. Something was deadly wrong. So he ran._

_Kaoru! the wind said. _

_Kaoru ran faster. Something was after him. Something wanted to take him back to the darkness. No, he wouldn't let it. He would make it to the light._

_I've come to save you, the wind said._

_I DON'T BELIEVE YOU, Kaoru roared into the wind._

_And then he turned and stopped in shock. It was Hikaru, standing there in the darkness._

_Come back with me, Hikaru said._

_No. No I won't. Kaoru turned to run again but Hikaru appeared there too._

_I can't let you die, Hikaru said._

_I'm not. I'm not. I just want to go into the light._

_You can't, he said. You have to go back with me._

_Kaoru looked to the light and immediately felt drawn towards it once again. I have to go, Kaoru said._

_But then Hikaru was grabbing him._

* * *

**Epilogue is next!**


	25. Chapter 25

Hikaru gasped, waking with a start, and he breathed hard after. His hands were fisted against Kaoru's shirt and his shoulder but he made himself let go, looking for any life in Kaoru.

Suddenly, Kaoru's heart monitor sped up, beeping erratically. Hikaru jumped back in surprise as Kaoru's body began to convulse. "What's happening?" Hikaru cried, turning to his father who was standing over his shoulder now.

He glanced back at Kaoru and jolted when he noticed the glimmer of Kaoru's soul, lingering around his body in bright colors. Kaoru was trying to reattach himself to his body but it wasn't working. "His body is rejecting him!"

Dad turned his head toward the door with wide eyes. "The nurses are on the way. If they try to resuscitate him now, he may lose the connection."

Hikaru growled and threw his self forward. He would force Kaoru back into his body if he had to. He moved his hand over the glimmering soul, trying to coax it into the body, but it would not respond and the heart monitor continued in its harsh speed.

Forcing the body against the bed to slow its convulsions, Hikaru yelled, "What do I do?"

Looking over his shoulder, Hikaru saw the horrified expression on his father's face. He didn't know what to do, it was obvious.

"I'm not losing him," Hikaru said, turning back to Kaoru's body and suddenly… everything slowed. His adrenaline had kicked in, making everything fast and slow simultaneously. Hikaru's eyes darted from the heart monitor, to Kaoru, to Kaoru's soul. He could the echo of shouts in the hallway as the nurses or doctors sprinted towards Kaoru's room. The air stank of medical supplies. Kaoru's body shook on the blanketed bed and his soul was hesitating just beyond reach.

Hikaru suddenly knew what had to be done.

He threw his hand out at the soul, thrusting his hand against the energy, and just as he suspected, he was able to grab a firm hold around it. "What are you doing?" his father asked in exasperation.

"I'm going to seal him in," Hikaru said quickly. And then he was pushing and pushing Kaoru's soul into his body. Energy vibrated around him, shaking the bed, the walls, the floor. There were shouts somewhere outside the room. They were close, too close, and could interrupt what Hikaru was about to do. In an instant, Hikaru turned and aimed at the door with his hand and forced the door shut with a blast, sealing the door from outsiders.

He turned back to Kaoru and continued the process, forcing the soul. The energy ran through his veins, bursting and excruciating. "Stop!" Dad yelled. "You could tear your own soul apart!"

Hikaru laughed. He was counting on it.

He forced the soul into the body but it still convulsed with a wild heartbeat. It wasn't attaching. There was loud banging on the door from the hospital staff, demanding to be let inside.

Holding Kaoru's soul there, Hikaru closed his eyes with his teeth grit tight. He located his own soul. To his own recognition, he realized his soul was completely different from Kaoru's. It was sparkling cool colors rather than Kaoru's warm.

Then he took his own soul and cut into it. He wasn't sure how he knew how to do such a gruesome task, but he didn't care. He cried out in complete screaming pain as he felt a pain more excruciating than anything he'd ever experienced. And that was only a small cut into his soul.

He forced a small part of his soul to continue to divide from himself through the burning, exhausting, paralyzing cuts. He wanted to vomit, to pass out, to just stop, but he kept going. Hikaru was gasping for air and something dripped down his chin. Blood? Tears? He had no time to stop and check.

And suddenly that piece of his soul was free and Hikaru was left panting with eyes still closed. His soul felt raw and it pulsed from the loss but he could still feel just a little from his soul fragment.

With no hesitation, he forced his soul fragment into Kaoru's body. It complied easily as it was a part of him and melted into Kaoru's body. He forced the connection between his piece and Kaoru's soul and it latched on hungrily, recognizing a healthier soul. The two pieces combined and Hikaru let go, feeling weak.

Kaoru's soul and his shard infused and began to tether itself to Kaoru's body. It was strange to watch such light combine beneath the skin of a body, but it shone so brightly to Hikaru.

It was the last thing Hikaru glimpsed before he dropped to the floor.

* * *

Kiyoshi watched his boys sitting together on Kaoru's hospital bed and smiled sadly. They had both survived the soul infusing. He could see it, any ghost or life-reaper could see it. Hikaru's soul was laced within Kaoru's and in response; the rest of Hikaru's soul was drawn to it. That is why the two were inseparable in the last two days since Hikaru's collapse.

Hikaru, being stubborn like Kiyoshi, had kept this information to himself. Kiyoshi didn't blame him though. Kaoru was being held alive by Hikaru's soul and when he did die, Hikaru would die with him. Now that their souls were bound, their fates were bound together to each other too. They would die in unison.

Yuzuha entered the room just then and if Kiyoshi still had a heart, it would have beat ten-fold. He missed her so much and for the first time in a long time, he allowed himself to be in the same room as his wife. She smiled widely at their boys and said, "Your friends are here!" She gestured behind her as the five of them entered the room.

Kiyoshi smiled wider and then focused his attention on his boys' smiling faces one last time as they visited with their friends. Soon, Hikaru and Kaoru would realize that they could no longer see ghosts. Their powers were gone.

Kiyoshi was glad for it. His boys would be safe, finally; he could move on.

So he went to his wife, pressed a kiss to her cheek, and did the same in turn to his sons. They both snapped their gaze in his general direction simultaneously. Neither seemed to even realize how in sync they were now.

"Goodbye," he whispered. "See you later."

Then he allowed himself to fade. He faded fast.

* * *

**The End! I hope that was satisfactory. Good Lord, I am so nervous for your reactions. So uhhh... please read Sanity's Edge and The Knives in His Sleeves. Thank you for reading my lovelies!**


End file.
